Sassy
by SoPhIeBuFfY4EvEr
Summary: Sequel to "Twisted Sister". Picks up right where that one left off. Paul/OC. Multi-Chapter. R/R.
1. Meet the Boys

**Title ; **Sassy

**Rating ; **M

**Fandom/Pairing ; **"The Lost Boys"/Paul&OC

**Summary ; **Sequel to "Twisted Sister". Picks up right where that one left off. Paul/OC. Multi-Chapter. R/R.

**A/N ; **Alright, so today, I was at my cousin Shelby's house (yes – she's the Shelby in this story and in "Twisted Sister" ;D) last night, and we were watching "Lost Boys" (as we always do). I had already told her I was making a sequel to my previous TLB story. During the train scene (which is our fave scene in the movie ;D), she got all excited and told me I should write that scene into her sequel – with her instead of Michael. I thought that was a fabulous idea, so I did just that. But halfway through writing it, we kind of started brainstorming all these different ideas for this story and I decided it would be multi-chapter. So, here's the sequel to "Twisted Sister" – I'm really excited to be writing it ;)

I hope you all enjoy it.

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"_I'm really a… a vampire?"_

"_Yeah. You really are."_

"_Does this mean we can have sex without any worries now?"_

"_Yes, sassy, we can." _

"_Do you want to?"_

"_Of course I fucking do."_

The only difference Shelby noticed was the fact that they were in an actual bed this time around.

That, and the fact that he wasn't holding back anymore.

This time, as Paul clutched her hips and thrust in and out, he didn't have to worry about hurting her. She was a vampire – there wasn't much that _could_ do her damage now. She was strong and she was immortal.

But, most importantly, she was _his_.

"Paul…" She moaned, her nails digging into his shoulders and her face pressed against his neck as he moved inside her. "_Paul_…"

He smirked at the sound of his name coming from her mouth. It sounded so right when it was spoken by her… Fuck, she had him going. He was wrapped around her pretty little finger – and the strangest part was that he didn't give a shit. He didn't feel tied down or anything like that. He felt happy – legitimately happy – for the first time in _decades_.

Ducking his head down, he sucked on the skin at the base of her throat, rolling his tongue around the pale flesh and reveling in the sounds she made in response. She was so overwhelmed by everything that had happened to her at this point in time… She was a fucking vampire – first off – which, by itself, was ridiculous. And she was here, with another vampire – a hot _guy _vampire, to be specific – having sex with him for the second time… It was all too much for her to process.

As he got in particularly far, she whimpered, her hands tangling in his long blonde hair. "_Fuck yes_… God, Paul…" She breathed, sending shockwaves straight to his groin. "You feel so good inside me… _Fuck_…"

"You gonna come for me again?" He growled in her ear, his mouth attacking her jaw with kisses. "Hard? Like last time? You're so fucking _tight_, sassy…"

"It's because I'm _close_." She gasped, rolling her hips up to meet his thrusts and making him groan. "I'm _really_ close, baby…"

Slamming into her – each time rougher than the one before it – he felt her panting under him, and held her close. "Come for me."

She yelped, her face buried in the crook of his neck, and he felt her walls constrict around him. The sensation was almost _too_ hot for him, and as she shuddered her release, he spilled himself inside of her. Then, he slid out and rolled off of her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her eyelids gently.

"So – second time around," She said, her voice still heavy with pleasure, "Better than the first?"

Paul took a second to think about this, and shrugged, "I don't have a fucking _preference _when it comes to sex. Sex is awesome – despite any and all circumstances."

She laughed, and leaned up to kiss him. But before anything more could happen, they were ripped out of their bliss by a voice from across the room.

"Now, now, Paul – how many times have I told you to _tell_ me before you invite guests over?"

They both jumped at the sudden comment, and Shelby instinctively pulled the bed sheets up to her neck, as Paul sat up. When he realized who'd spoken, he swore under his breath, "David! Shit, bro – what is _wrong_ with you? You scared the living_ shit_ out of me!"

Shelby looked over in the direction Paul was staring and saw three boys standing at the entrance to the cave. The first one – the one who had interrupted them – was blonde – close to the same color as Paul's hair – and handsome. The way the two other boys stood behind him, one on either side, suggested to her that he was the leader of their little group. The boy standing on his right was shorter, with wide eyes and a curly mop of hair framing his face. And the guy on the leader's left was quite tall and burly looking – with long brown hair and dark, severe eyes. They all looked tough when they stood beside each other. Shelby assumed that Paul was the piece that completed the group. She looked from him to the boys, waiting for him to say something.

The small(_ish_) one was the first to speak up: "New friend, Paul?" He raised his eyebrows, a playful smirk on his face.

"Shut up, dick." Paul retorted, but with laughter in his voice.

David tried to mask the grin that threatened to appear on his face, and moved forward two steps or so. "So – are you going to introduce us to your –," He studied Shelby's face, then continued, "-beautiful lady friend? Or do we have to _guess _her name?"

Paul nodded. "Sorry, man. Uhm, Shelby, this is David." The leader raised a hand, jokingly, "Dwayne," The burly one cocked his head silently, "–and that useless looking fucker over there is –,"

"–a cunt!" The little one howled, jumping down from the cave entrance and moving over to one of the chairs nearby. "And my name's Marko."

She stifled a giggle and looked back to Paul, who rolled his eyes. "Fucking idiot." He muttered. "Anyway: David, Marko, and Dwayne – this is Shelby. She's gonna be with me from now on – alright?"

"Why's that, twisted sister?" Marko asked, from where he sat, slumped over, in the seat. "Are we not enough for you anymore?"

Dwayne snickered, his voice deep, as he navigated his way to the couch opposite Marko. "Judging by their –," He cleared his throat, "–_ lack_ of attire, I think it's pretty clear what's caused Paul's… erm… change of heart."

"That – and it fuckin' _reeks _of sex in here right now." David added, before letting out a mock-gasp, "And, look – he's got at least three hickies on his neck. Fuck me, boys – our little champ here got _laid. _More than once – by the looks of it."

Shelby couldn't help but giggle along with the rest of the boys. Paul took the teasing like the man he was, however, and she smiled, leaning close to kiss his shoulder, before hearing Marko gasp.

"You _bastard_!" He cried, in a high-pitched voice, feigning distress, "You said you loved _me_! What was I to you? Just a pair of tits?"

Paul picked up a pillow from behind him and flung it at Marko, who fell out of his chair laughing. "Jesus, bro – grow the fuck up. _How_ old are you?"

Marko stood up and shrugged, "Hell if I know. Lost count about a decade ago."

After being silent for so long, Shelby finally spoke up: "Uh – not to sound rude, but I can put my clothes back on, please?"

David smirked again, and before she knew it, he was standing beside the bed, just about a foot away from her. Reaching out, he cupped her cheek in his hand. She felt Paul tense up from his place next to her, but didn't understand why. The whole cave fell silent as David caressed the side of her face, slowly. When he let go of her, he looked over at Paul, hostility in his eyes. "Why would you do something like this?" When no response came, he grabbed Shelby's head in both his hands and jerked her around to look at Paul. In that moment, she was terrified. He could _kill _her with one simple flick of his wrist… "Answer the fucking question. You know how I am about repeating myself."

Paul's eyes were ablaze with anger. When he looked to Marko or Dwayne for help, they wouldn't meet his gaze. So, letting out a sigh, he replied, "It's a pretty simple thing, man. I saw her, I wanted her, I took her. Hey – you know what? That shit sounds kind of familiar. It _reminds_ me of someone –,"

By now, David's grip on her head had tightened, and she felt dizzy. "_Why did you do this_?" He repeated, his voice low and dangerous. "She's one of us now – is _that _it?"

"I just did the same thing you did; To Star. Remember _her_, David? Hmm?"

David laughed, humorlessly, "You're right. You're fucking right – that _is _what I did to Star. But, refresh my memory – I'm a little fuzzy: How did that whole thing work out?" Paul's face fell, and he nodded. "_Exactly. _So the fact that you dragged another girl into this is just about the stupidest thing I've ever heard." He relinquished his grip, throwing her forward, where Paul caught her in his arms, holding her to him protectively. "Get rid of her."

Shelby gasped, sitting up and shaking her head, vigorously. Paul looked outraged, "What the fuck? _Why_?"

"Because I don't have time to babysit a teenaged hormone bomb." David spat.

"Fuck you – I'm _nineteen_!" Shelby cried, angrily. "And I can take care of myself; Creature of the night here."

Both of them ignored her.

"She's not _your _responsibility, David. She's _mine_. She's staying with me. Okay?" Paul kept his protective arms wrapped around her the whole time he spoke.

At this, Marko found his voice: "David, man – why don't you just let her stay?"

Dwayne agreed, "Yeah – Paul's more than capable of watching out for her."

"Plus, she's already a vampire. Full-on." Marko pointed out. "She's one of us, _like _it or _not_."

Shelby watched David's eyes closely as he glared at Paul. Her head still ached from where he'd held her. Finally, he rolled his eyes, sighing. "Fuck. Whatever. As long as you keep her out of trouble, I don't give a shit." She sensed Paul nodding, before David continued, "Now, please – for all our sakes – get dressed, Paul." He picked up Paul's leather jacket off the ground, and tossed it to him. "You too, lovely." He turned away from them, then said, "As soon as you two are dressed, we'll go for a ride. Train'll be coming soon – and you boys know what _that _means."

All of the guys let out excited cheers – even Paul – as David walked off.

**A/N: **Reviews are beautiful :) I'll try and update ASAP ;)


	2. Train in Vain

**Chapter 2: Train in Vain**

After Paul and Shelby had gotten dressed once more – Paul had let her borrow one of his leather jackets – they rode their motorcycles out to what David described as one of their favorite places. Shelby spent the entire ride contemplating where they were going. But, sitting with her arms wrapped around Paul's middle as he drove his motorcycle hell knows where almost felt peaceful. She knew she wasn't 100% part of the group yet – David didn't seem like a very big fan of hers – but she was halfway there, and that was good enough. Watching the scenery around them roll by, she built up in her mind that they were going someplace either really exotic or really remote. So, when they wound up on a bridge – with train tracks going up and down it – she felt a tad disappointed.

"Uhh… What's going on?"

She watched Paul smile at her words. David did the same. "Shelby wants to know what's going on." He informed the boys, laughter in his voice. "Marko – _what's going on_?"

"I don't know –," Marko turned to look at Paul, "What's going on Paul?"

"Wait a minute – _who wants to know_?" He chuckled, happily, crossing over to put an arm around her waist.

"Shelby wants to know!" Dwayne howled, laughing.

After high-fiving him, Paul pressed his cheek to her forehead, a grin on his face. She looked from boy to boy, her eyebrows raised, excited and nervous at the same time.

"I think we should let Shelby know what's going on." David said.

Paul snorted, "_Yeah_."

With his arm still around her waist, they turned to watch Marko as he stepped to the edge of the bridge. He glanced over at her and smiled, waving. "Good night, Shelby." And without a single trace of fear, he stepped off the side of the tracks, "Bombs away…!"

She let out a gasp of surprise, but Paul winked at her – as Dwayne moved over to the spot Marko had just disappeared from. He pointed his fingers at her, like loaded guns, and then jumped off the edge as well. As soon as he was out of sight, David made his way forward to say, in an almost seductive whisper: "_Come with us, Shelby_."

She blinked, unaware of what to say, just as he turned and leaped off the bridge. Their voices could be heard from beneath their feet – so they obviously weren't dead – but she couldn't work out what had just happened.

Sensing her un-ease, Paul pulled her close to breathe in her ear; "You don't have to do it if you don't want to. But – if you _do _– I promise you'll be okay."

She could hear the various things that the boys were yelling from wherever the hell they were, and took a deep breath. "Are you sure?"

He cocked his head, playfully, "Come on, sassy – don't you trust me yet?"

Then, he held out his hand to her.

And – _wordlessly _– she reached out and took it.

Pulling her along to the edge, he turned to grin at her. "Bottom's up, babe."

She giggled, shakily, and moved forward to jump off the side with him.

At first, she felt certain that she was going to die. All she knew – the only constant fact she held in her mind – was that Paul had her hand clutched tightly in his. The rest was darkness… and cold air whipping at her face.

But, just as soon as it had started, everything stopped. Opening her eyes, slowly, she was shocked to discover that she was still in once piece. Somehow – fuck if she knew – her free hand was now holding onto one of the bars on the bottom of the tracks. Her other hand was still clasped in Paul's – who was hanging beside her, clinging to another bar. Her feet dangled in the open air, and she let out a relieved sigh. Were she still human, she definitely wouldn't have been able to hold onto the metal strip for long. A moment or two, maybe, but not like this. She didn't feel worn out or weak – she felt _so _incredibly strong… and powerful.

Looking over at the blonde vampire, she smiled – which made him grin, too. "You okay?"

As she nodded, Marko piped up: "Fuck – where's the train?"

David quieted him, "Patience, boys, is a virtue – of the highest sort."

"Naaahh," Paul shook his head, "Patience is for pussies."

Marko snickered, "Leave it to you to bring pussies into the conversation, man. You have so much –," He glanced at Shelby, then back to Paul, "– knowledge pertaining to the subject."

Everyone laughed, as Paul kicked at his friend with his feet, swinging his legs forward. "I think he's a little – what's the right word? – _jealous_." Shelby observed, watching as the two boys kicked back and forth at each other. "I mean, when was the last time _you _got any, Marko?"

They stopped playing around; Marko's cheeks glowing scarlet as Paul laughed silently.

"I get why you call her 'Sassy' now, Paul." Dwayne said, matter-of-factly. She winked at him, and – though slightly taken aback – he returned the gesture, jokingly, from where he hung beside David.

"So what's the _point _of this?" She questioned, giggling when Paul squeezed her hand, which was still clasped in his.

Marko smirked, "No point. We're just _crazy _fuckers." He stuck his tongue out in an overly perverted fashion.

She rolled her eyes, as David gave her an answer: "Uh, _Sassy_ – is it? – you're about to see what the point is. Any minute n-,"

His words were cut off by the distant sound of a train whistle. Taken by surprise, Shelby let out a small gasp, just as Paul dropped her hand to grip the train with both hands. She did the same, holding on tight. Looking from boy to boy, she realized that this was what they'd come for – the main attraction. Jumping off the bridge was only the opening act; it was time for the headliner. The thought of this alarmed her a little – but the grins that each of the boys were sporting relaxed her. She knew she was in for a _wild _ride, and smiled – in spite of herself.

"Hold on!" David shouted.

As the train started onto the bridge, the entire line of tracks began to shake steadily. Marko gave a yell of excitement, which the other guys mimicked, jovially. The tracks rocked above them, causing all of them to vibrate in time with it. Shelby's grip on the metal bars tightened, as her whole body was shaken back and forth. Despite the fact that this whole endeavor of theirs was ridiculously stupid, she let out a "Whoo-_hoo_!", which was barely audible over the thumping of the train. Looking to her right, she saw Paul head-banging and laughed. David was cheering, Dwayne wolf-whistling, and Marko howling; She could used to doing shit like this every night.

But, jut when it had started to get fun, Dwayne let go of the bar, and, shouting, fell down into the mist below.

"_What the fuck?_" She exclaimed, the train still roaring overhead.

"Don't be scared, Shelby!" Marko assured her, before following Dwayne – letting go and disappearing into the fog.

Paul was laughing, but she didn't get what was so hilarious. Everything she'd experienced up to that point made this look like a suicide mission…

David dropped one of his hands, before shouting, "You are one of us, Shelby; Let _go!_"

She didn't know what to say, but screamed when he, too, let his grip on the bar slide, and fell. After he disappeared, the train finally made it off the tracks, and the roaring faded until silence filled the air. Gasping, her chest tightening up on her, she heard the boys' voices from beneath her, and looked over to Paul.

"Paul…" She had no words, but managed to spit out: "The _fuck?_"

He nodded, "I know. It's fucking crazy – I know."

Marko's distant voice rose above David's and Dwayne's, screaming, "Come _on_, Shelby!"

"You don't have to let go, if you don't want to, but –," He looked at her, guiltily, "– there's no other option than to fall. You can't get back up on top of the bridge from here."

"So – _what the fuck? _– I'm just supposed to… _trust _you? Again?"

Paul sighed, closing his eyes for a long moment, as Dwayne's voice rang out: "Quit touching each other and get down here!"

"Shut up, man!" Paul yelled, which caused the boys to laugh, before looking back to Shelby, "I _promise _you'll be okay."

She huffed, "You said that last time…"

"And did anything happen to you?" He asked, "_No._ So come with me." Extending his hand to her, he snickered, "Come on, princess – it's not like you can die twice, right?"

Shelby looked down at the swirling mist beneath them, then back up to him. "Alright." She gave in, reaching out and taking his hand once more. His fingers twined through hers, and she felt calmness settle through her, as she stroked the back of his hand with her thumb.

"Ready?"

She nodded, "_Ready."_

He winked at her, "Okay – on three. One… two… three –!"

They both let go, free falling into the fog – _together._

**A/N: **If you liked this chapter, please leave me a little review (they make my day :D) and I'll update again ASAP :)


	3. More Than Alive

**Chapter 3: More Than Alive**

Shelby screamed as they fell – she couldn't help it; the exhilaration that came from the sensation was so much at once. Paul held onto her hand like she was the most precious thing in the world – and she clung to him as the only thing she had.

Despite the fact that they'd been pretty high above the ground on the bridge, the fall only lasted about fifteen seconds – tops. Before she knew it, they were on the ground – landing on their feet, like… _cats_, or some shit – and all the boys were guffawing and clapping Paul on the back. Marko ruffled Shelby's hair – as if she were his little sister – and Dwayne grinned.

"Nice of you two to drop in." David muttered; as Paul took up his usual spot beside Shelby, leaning down to kiss her gently, before looping an arm around her waist. At this, David grimaced, "You're going to make me sick. Seriously – get a room."

Marko chimed in: "Yeah, go have sex in an alley or something – fuckin' lovebirds."

"Dude – are you _high _right now?" Paul thumped him, playfully, on the shoulder – making him snicker – before turning back to David, "What's the plan from here?"

At the word "plan", David shrugged, "No plans – just imagination. But you two seem very… _cozy _–," He indicated the fact that Shelby was now sucking on Paul's neck, absentmindedly, and made a gagging sound, "– so, naturally, we don't want you and your PDA around us. So… we'll see you later." Marko puckered his lips and made kissing noises, while Dwayne chuckled.

Paul nodded, "Yeah, man – okay."

David turned to leave, gesturing for the boys to follow him. Dwayne mumbled something to Paul as he passed, and Marko said, "See you later, bro." Waggling his eyebrows, he added, "Have _fuuuun_."

"Go away." Paul laughed, before his friend ran to catch up with David and Dwayne – leaving Paul and Shelby alone. The first thing he did was lower his head to kiss her, slowly, which caused her to smile.

"Have I mentioned how _hot _you look in my jacket?" He asked.

Smiling again, she shrugged, "No, you haven't. Must've slipped your mind."

"Well," He said, taking a step back to look her up and down, "You do. You look fucking _sexy_, sassy. More than usual, anyway."

Shelby giggled, pretending to be overly modest, "Oh, _stop_." She reached out to put her arms around his neck and sighed. "You're a pretty hot piece yourself, twisted sister." She leaned in to suck on his bottom lip for a moment, tracing her tongue over it.

He grinned, "Thing is, I've barely ever seen you with clothes _on _before – so I didn't expect you to look _this _good clothed."

She rolled her eyes, "I bet you say that to all the girls."

Paul shook his head, "Nah – just the ones I fuck."

Feigning annoyance, she smacked him on the arm, "Fuck _you_."

That got him laughing. "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful!" He joked, in a singsong voice.

She laughed with him, before looking up at him to ask, "So, how long until sunrise?"

His face grew serious, before he answered, "Forty minutes – maybe forty-give, maximum. I can… _smell _the sun – long before it rises."

Shelby took some time to think about the fact that she would never be able to go out in the sun again… She felt a twinge of remorse for that, because she'd always loved going to the beach – but decided to put it behind her. That part of herself was dead now. And, anyway, she didn't want sunlight if it meant she couldn't have Paul.

"Well… if we've only got that much time left, let's go _do _something." She said, finally, tugging at his hand, excitedly. "Come on!"

Paul stared at her for a moment, un-moving, before giving in. "I _am _really fucking hungry – now you mention it."

Shelby stopped dead in her tracks. "You mean… for blood? _Human _blood?"

He looked at her, his eyebrows furrowing, and nodded, "Yeah – of course. What else would I mean?" When she continued to look un-easy, he pulled her to him and murmured; "I forgot that you're, like… a _murder virgin_. And – I'm sorry to say this, but it's true – murder is kind of an essential part of the vampire lifestyle. Without human blood, you won't survive long – and I kind of want you around for a while, you know?"

_He is so sweet, _she thought, in the back of her mind. _But _human _blood? I'm not 100% sure I'm ready for that. _"I don't know, Paul…"

"Babe, I'm really sorry – but sunrise is coming in about… thirty-seven minutes." He lowered his mouth to her face, and whispered against her cheek: "So, unless you want to go a full day without anything to eat, we need to go round up a couple of humans."

She tried to protest further, but realized that he was right. There wasn't another option – and she actually _was_ pretty hungry… "Fine." She blushed faintly, "But – I don't know what to… do. I've never killed anyone before…"

Paul laughed, softly. "Relax, _virgin, _I'll show you the ropes."

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They ended up at the Boardwalk; the place was dark and quiet. Since it was so early/late, nobody was there, and all the rides were shut down, casting eerie shadows on the wooden floors.

"Wow…" Jumping up onto the Merry Go-Round, Shelby smiled down at Paul. "_This _brings back memories."

He snorted, "How impressive of you; being able to remember what happened _last night_."

That caught her off guard. Had they really only met the night before? With all that had happened since then, it felt like she'd already been with Paul and the boys for months…

"I guess time flies." She muttered, leaning back on a nearby carnival horse.

"Yeah," Paul scoffed, "When you're having _fun_."

She rolled her eyes; "Sexual innuendo is weighing heavily on your words."

Shrugging, he licked his lips and said, "You seem to… inspire it in me."

Before she could say anything more, however, they heard a noise nearby, which caused her to jump. Paul stood up straight, his whole body on alert as he looked around for the source of the sound. Voices could be heard from not too far away. Muffled voices of people that were no doubt about to be slaughtered…

She felt her breath catch in her throat – the feeling of anxiety creeping into her veins only mildly swayed when he climbed up onto the Carousel beside her. Her hands reached for him blindly, since her eyes were too busy darting every which way, and clutched at his shirt loosely.

He moved his hands up to grab onto her wrists and calmed her, whispering, "Shelby, you have to relax, okay? Calm down. They're just fucking humans, babe. We're _vampires_ – that automatically gives us a leg up." Turning her head towards him, their eyes met and he spoke in a voice so gentle that, were she not staring right at him, she wouldn't have believed it to be him saying the words, "You don't have to do anything – just follow my lead, and you'll be fine. I _promise_."

_More promises, _she thought wanly, before nodding. "Okay – I think I'm ready."

He smiled, gave her a wink, and turned his attention back to finding the source of the noise. He stood on his tiptoes for a moment, the sight causing Shelby to giggle quietly, and when he came back down, he murmured, "There are two of them; a boy and a girl." His fingers twined through hers, and he turned to kiss her once before moving forward, "Let's go."

She took a deep breath, and forced her legs to follow him, holding onto his hand tightly.

She didn't know why this was, but they made little to no noise as they walked over the pavement. It was as if their feet weren't touching the ground, they moved so lightly. Paul's hand gripped hers and she held her breath as they approached the voices, which grew louder with every step they took. After a few more steps forward, she could make out their conversation perfectly:

"Fucking hell, Alex – why do you have to be such a dick?" The female's voice spat, harshly.

The male, Alex, replied, "Aww, come on, baby – don't you love me anymore?" From the way his words slurred together, it was painfully obvious that he was drunk.

Clearly, the girl didn't really go for the drunk-type, and pushed him away. "_Fuck off_."

Paul let out a laugh, one of his typical, snarky ones, from where they hid in the shadows. The sound of it startled the female – the male being too wasted to notice much of anything – and she spun around, her eyes wide. "What was that?"

"What was_ what_, baby?" Alex muttered, his voice garbled and deep.

"Shut up! I fucking heard something."

At that, Paul turned to give Shelby a look of excitement, and held up his index finger, telling her to stay where she was for a second. She nodded, and then he was gone – in the blink of an eye. She held her breath, looking around in the dark for any sign of him –

All the looking was for nothing, though, because as soon as she heard a startled yelp from the girl, she knew where he was. Looking up, she saw that Paul was right behind the terrified girl, his arms around her body, keeping her in a tight hold against him. Shelby felt the slightest twinge of anger at how he was holding her – his arms encircling her breasts as he kept her still.

And then the begging started to pour out of the girl: "P-Please don't h-h-hurt me…! I-I… _Please_ –!"

"Ssshhhh." Paul quieted her, brushing her hair away from her face and putting a hand over her mouth, "I know you're scared. But there's no need to worry, because –," Shelby saw his fangs come out, as he held her by the hair, "-I'll make it quick."

Before the weeping girl could make another move, he bore down on her, his fangs burying themselves into the flesh of her neck. She screamed, a sound only mildly muffled by Paul's hand, and tried to fight him off – to no avail. He was strong – _fuck_, he was strong, Shelby observed – and he wrestled with her, keeping her in place as he drank her blood. Shelby wasn't totally sure, but she thought she could hear him humming to himself as he drained her of everything she had inside. This whole time, the chick's "boyfriend" stood by, his mouth open in total shock, while his girlfriend got slaughtered. As Shelby watched the idiot struggle with what he should do, she felt anger rise up inside of her body. _What was wrong with this asshole?_ He sure looked like he cared about the girl – standing by and watching while she got attacked. The least he could fucking do was… well, _something_. And, quickly, that anger turned into a more primal feeling; a feeling that she _had_ to indulge in.

So, for the first time, Shelby gave in to that feeling – and her fangs, too, came out, pushing their way through her gums, sharp and smooth. It only hurt for a moment – after which, she ran forward, lunging at the helpless, drunk fucker. He yelled as she grabbed him, her arms going around his neck and holding his head to the side as she sank her teeth into his skin. The minute the blood started to flow into her mouth, she felt relief surging through her. Red, sweet, hot relief flooding into her throat as she sucked the blood out of him like he was a fucking _juice box_. He struggled against her, pathetically flailing his arms around and kicking out at her – but she only bit down harder, causing him to howl in pain.

After about thirty seconds of slurping and swallowing, he went limp and cold in her arms. Pulling away from him, she let go and let his body fall to the ground in a tangled heap – on top of the girl's.

Looking over to Paul, she smiled, her fangs retreating into her mouth and her body on fire from what she had just done. "Holy shit! Did you _see _me? That was… That was –!"

"- Incredible." Paul finished, not looking up at her, but focusing on moving the bodies into a nearby storage room. "You were fucking amazing. You picked it up so quickly."

"I know!" She squealed, excited and proud. "_I know_! And it was so… mind-blowing."

Just then, Paul came back to where she stood and looked down at her. The minute he did, his expression changed slightly; His eyes grew dark and his body tensed up. "What's wrong?" Shelby asked, reaching out a hand to touch his cheek – which was stained with the girl's blood.

He caught her wrist in his hand before she could touch him, however, and grinned, "You look… _really _fucking…" She felt her mind reeling at this occurrence: Paul was actually at a _loss _for words. "The blood – on your mouth… You just… Fuck."

She raised an eyebrow, smiling mischievously, "What? Does it..._ turn you on_, baby?"

He chuckled, nervously, before nodding, an embarrassed look on his beautiful face. "You have _no _idea how hot you are right now, sassy."

"_Do_ something about it." She challenged, living up to her nickname once again.

Without another word, he pulled her to him, their mouths crashing together – and backed her up against the wall of the storage room. She gasped at the sudden movement, excitement coursing through her. She had blood all around her mouth as well, and he wasted no time in moving his attention to it. His tongue slid out from between his teeth and he began to suck at the red liquid. She held him tight, arms around his neck and fingers in his hair, as he licked off the blood, before bringing his mouth back to hers hungrily. It was all so fast and raw – her body was singing for him as she clutched at the fabric of his jacket. His hand snaked down in between them, fingers fumbling slightly as he un-buttoned her jeans, slipping into her panties and her wet folds quickly.

"Ohhh…" She whimpered, fingers knotting in his soft hair as he slid two fingers into her and began to pump. "Fuck, Paul… _Yes_…"

He kissed her again, their tongues battling for dominance in each other's mouths. His fingers fucking _rammed _into her – it was so rough and delicious. She bucked her hips forward, causing his fingers to dig further and further into her. Gasping, she squeezed her eyes shut and focused on her pressing orgasm. She was close – _too_ close for comfort. "_Paul_…"

And with a final thrust of his fingers, she was there. As she moaned out her release, he held her close and kept her steady. Panting, she looked up at him, re-buttoning her jeans absentmindedly. "So… how much longer have we got?"

He took a moment. "Six minutes."

Nodding, she reached out to take his hand and said, "Let's get back, then."

Paul chuckled and kissed her once more before whispering, "You got it, sassy."

**A/N: **So, I'm not all that satisfied with this chapter. I'm not sure what it is, but I don't think it's anywhere near as good as the previous two chapters… Maybe you guys think differently? If you do, tell me in a review – they make my day! :)

Acknowledgements must be given to two wonderful ladies who give me tons of much needed feedback and encourage me in my writing: Shelby (**hollisterchick**) and Shanna (**Foxotr**). They are both absolutely amazing and I'm so thankful to be their friend.

Shelby is my cousin in real life, and I've known her for as long as I can remember. I think it's safe to say that she's my closest friend and we get along _so_ well. She's also the #1 fan of this story, without a single doubt. I mean, it's about her – so why shouldn't she be, right? I look forward to uploading every chapter so I can see her wonderfully spazzy reviews and make her happy :)

And Shanna is just so wonderful and lovely! Her stories "Angel" and "I'd Rather See You Dead" are ridiculously addicting and so brilliant, and she is such a talented writer, it's crazy. She is a huge inspiration to me and I admire her very much. I appreciate all of her feedback, and I love talking to her :)

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll update again as soon as I can!


	4. Good Times Gonna Come

**Chapter 4: Good Times Gonna Come**

Over the next week or so, Shelby quickly became part of the group. Even though she was a newbie – and even though David still didn't like her much – she felt comfortable among the boys. Dwayne had begun to feel like a protective older brother – watching out for her and having her back. And Marko felt very much the same way, but was more obnoxious and energetic. He treated Shelby like she was his little sister, in the way that he joked around and teased her. David was still cold towards her, but he'd gotten better about controlling himself. He knew there was nothing he could to make Paul ditch her, but wasn't exactly best friends with her yet.

Paul was, as he had been from the start, as amazing as guys get. He was sweet and good to her – despite the incessant jokes the boys cracked about him. He was a badass vampire, duh, but he definitely had a soft die – and she seemed to bring it out of him better than anyone. When they went hunting, though, he didn't have to take care of her. She was the fastest learner when it came to killing, and got better at it with each hunt. He marveled at how stealthy and quick she was. Even David had to hand it to her; she _was _pretty impressive.

The days went by slowly – they slept until sundown, then went out to party. And _damn_, did they party. They were fucking _rock stars_, and the people of Santa Carla knew better than to fuck with them. When they walked down the Boardwalk, people stared – in both fear and awe. They all loved it.

Sex, murder, blood, and cigarettes; the vampire lifestyle kicked all _kinds _of ass.

Shelby and Paul weren't exactly what you'd call 'chaste'. They fucked pretty often, much to the boys' discomfort. Some nights, it was repulsive just being around the couple, but, for the most part, their (healthy) sex life didn't conflict with anything the guys did. Though, Marko did walk in on them once – on accident, of course. "Fuck you – I'm gonna need _so _much therapy!" He'd cried, when Paul brought it up the next day.

Time had a way of blurring in Shelby's mind these days. She lost track of the date and didn't care enough to try and figure it out again. She could care less whether is was Wednesday or Thursday when she was having as much fun as she did with the boys. She felt so good about herself, and her life – or rather, her death – around them. Especially Paul… He had changed significantly since they'd first met. He didn't dwell on his past mistakes anymore. And he seemed happy. Shelby hadn't known him long enough to notice the mood change, but the rest of the guys had. He was ten times more fun to be around ever since she'd come into the picture. The boys – Marko, especially – were glad to see Paul happy. He'd been through a lot of crap and he definitely deserved someone like her in his life.

"_Shit._" he groaned, as she wrapped her legs around his waist, pushing him in deeper. "Fuck – you feel _really _fucking good, sassy."

The sun was just beginning to set over Santa Carla – which meant they'd be going out soon – so Shelby and Paul were getting some fuck time in beforehand. She was laying on her back while he stood by the edge of the bed – a lit cigarette in his hand – pounding into her. Her fingers clawed the sheets and a moan escaped her lips as she rolled her hips in time with his thrusts. He took a drag from his cigarette, blowing the smoke down towards her.

"Mmm…" she breathed, closing her eyes and bucking her hips steadily.

"You close, baby?" he murmured, tossing the cigarette away and reaching out to tickle her sides gently.

"Oh!" she cried, laughing and panting, "Paul, stop! Fuck – you know I'm ticklish."

His fingers danced across her stomach now, as he continued to thrust and make her sweat. "I said: Are you _close_?"

She giggled at the feeling of his hands on her, then moaned when he stroked her clit. "_Yes_. Make me come…"

He licked his lips and grasped at her hips to get in further. They hissed collectively and then Paul came. It was the first time he'd come _before _her, and she held him to her while he caught his breath. She came shortly after, and he pulled out to wrap his arms around her, lying down next to her amid the rumpled sheets.

They looked at each other's flushed faces and smiled. Shelby reached out to run her fingers through his hair and he leaned close to kiss her nose.

"Are you okay?" he asked – as he always did after they had sex.

She nodded, "Mmm-hmm. I'm happy."

Paul grinned, "Me too."

She moved in to kiss him, just as Marko's voice interrupted them, "Hey – guys?" They sat up to see him standing on the other side of the cave – by the entrance to where the boys slept – with his hands over his eyes. "Guys?"

"What is it man?" Paul asked, slightly annoyed, but mostly amused.

"Sun's down – it's time to go." he replied, "And sorry if I, like… interrupted your fucking."

"Wouldn't be the first time." Shelby laughed from her place in Paul's arms.

Marko sighed, "For the fifteenth time: it was an _accident_. Just get dressed so we can get out of this fucking cave, alright?"

"Will do." Paul responded.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

It had taken them less than five minutes to get dressed, after which the boys had joined them and they'd headed out – deciding to leave their motorcycles behind, in favor of walking. By now, Shelby had worn the jacket Paul had let her borrow so much that it was basically hers. He didn't miss it; he still had his favorite leather jacket, and besides, she looked better in that particular one than he did.

He and Shelby walked in the same position they always did; Paul with his arm over her shoulder and hers around his waist. He hugged her to him and she smiled. Sticking her right foot out, she gently kicked Dwayne, who was ahead of her. He turned around and narrowed his eyes at her, jokingly. She winked at him, while Paul chuckled.

"Paul?" David spoke, without turning around, from where he walked up front, "Next time you two feel the urge to –," He cleared his throat, "– fuck like bunnies, can you at least _try _to keep it down?"

Dwayne nodded, "We could hear _everything_."

"_Oh, Paul!_" Marko mimicked Shelby, in a high-pitched voice, "_Oh fuck – right there! Yeah!"_

She laughed, "Fuck you."

Marko feigned offense, clutching at his chest, "Oh – that hurts, Shelbs! Right here." He indicated his heart, sticking out his bottom lip in a puppy-dog pout.

"Relax," she said, rolling her eyes, "You know I love you, bro." Marko gave her a quick high five, before she continued, "I'm sorry about all the… noise, guys. We'll be quieter in the future."

Dwayne put his hands together, as if he was praying, and said, "Thank Christ."

"Not that we aren't _blissfully _happy for you," David smirked, "But I need my beauty rest."

She nodded, as Paul rubbed her neck gently. Marko tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned, "What?"

He leaned in to whisper, "How's my boy in bed? Like – scale of one to ten. Two? Negative seven?"

She lowered her voice and replied, "He's off the charts, man. In the hundreds somewhere – he's fucking great."

Marko snickered, looking impressed, "Well, I _did _teach him everything he knows."

"Sure you did." Paul snorted, making Shelby giggle.

When they reached the Boardwalk, there were already _tons _of people there – mostly teenagers. Some rock band was performing up on the stage, and a mosh pit had formed around it. The music the band played was pretty good, and Shelby let herself move to the beat. Paul laughed as she pulled him forward, holding his hand, into the mosh pit to dance with her. He rolled his eyes, but started to move with her, steadily. She decided to take the sexy route, grinding up on him and shaking her hips. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, caressing her breasts through her shirt. She leaned back against him, swaying to the sound emanating from the speakers around the stage. Looking around, she saw David and Dwayne surveying the crowd, like fucking _vultures_. David had said that night would be a murder-free one for once, so Shelby couldn't figure out what they were up to. Marko was jumping around like a maniac a few feet from her and Paul. She laughed at him and then spun around to kiss Paul slowly, only to find that he had tensed up; Something was wrong…

"What is it?" she yelled, over the pounding music.

He was staring over in David's direction – so was Marko. She mimicked them and saw that David looked absolutely _livid_. Dwayne was muttering to him and had a hand on his shoulder, seemingly in an attempt to calm him down. Even though she was a considerable distance away, Shelby could see that David's eyes were dark and full of malice. Paul left her to go see what the problem was, but when she tried to follow him, Marko appeared at her side and held her back.

"What the fuck is going on?" she asked, not understanding. Marko looked pained, and pulled her away from the mosh pit, where it was quieter. "Marko – what the fuck? What's up with David?"

He sighed, "It's Star."

Shelby's eyebrows furrowed, "Star – is _here_?"

"No, no, no," Marko shook his head, vigorously, "_God _no – he'd be ten thousand times worse if she were here. He's just… remembering her. He first met her during a show here – in a mosh pit. He saw her dancing."

Still confused, she asked, "Who was she?"

He rubbed his eyes, slowly, before answering, "She's – well, she _was _– David's girlfriend. He met her here and turned her into a half-vampire two nights later. She stayed around with us for a while – but she wasn't happy being a vampire."

"What do you mean?" How could anyone _not _like it?"

"She and David weren't exactly what you'd call 'The Perfect Couple'… They weren't the way you and Paul are with each other. You _genuinely _care for him – and vice versa. It was different with them. Star was sweet on David for about a week – once he turned her. After that, she started to lose that feeling. He kind of became more like a slave driver than a soul mate. She resented him, and she resented herself for what she'd become. About a month after that, she met this guy name Michael, and fell in love with him. David tried to rope him into the group – he became a half-vampire, too – but he didn't know how Star felt about him. A week later, she ran off with Michael and left us. David was fucking devastated. I've _never_ seen him so upset. Even though Star didn't love him, he had loved her." Marko shrugged, reaching into his pockets and producing a pack of cigarettes, along with his lighter. He gave her one, lit it, then did the same for himself. They both took long drags before he spoke again, "We looked for them for week after that, but we never found them. But we do know that since then, both Star and Michael have become full vampires."

"So," she blew the smoke out, "David's pissed because he's being reminded of this Star chick? Shit… Was she, like, really gorgeous or something?"

Marko snorted, and lowered his voice, "She was a bitch, to be perfectly honest. And personally, I think you're much prettier than she was."

Shelby smiled and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek, "Come on. Let's go see if everything's calmed down yet."

They maneuvered their way around the mosh pit to where Paul was leaning up against the railing, overlooking the beach.

"Hey man – is everything cool?" Marko asked, as Shelby moved over into Paul's arms.

He shrugged, "I guess. Dwayne took him away – said David needed to blow off some steam – and they went off in that direction." He pointed to his right, down the Boardwalk.

"I'm gonna go see if I can find them – you guys'll be okay, right?"

"_Duh_." Shelby told him, grinning.

Marko nodded and disappeared into the crowd. Paul looked down at her, "Did he fill you in on who Star is?"

"Yeah, he did."

He said a few words in reply, but she wasn't paying attention. Her eyes had fallen on something that way taped to one of the huge lamp posts nearby; A 'Missing Person' poster – with her picture on it. She let out a gasp and ran forward to rip it down to study it. Her name was in bold print, as was her height, age, the date she was last seen, and her parents' home phone number. Paul came to stand beside her and examined the sign over her shoulder.

"Shit – your family must be looking for you." He murmured.

"Yeah…" Her mind was reeling. In the midst of all that she'd gone through, she had forgotten that she had a… life. And a family – an entire group of people who must be worried _sick _about her. Her parents must have been completely panicked at this point. She'd been gone for… how long? Two weeks?

She glanced up and down the Boardwalk, to see that there were signs with her face on them up all over. Now she was starting to feel dizzy. Her breathing caught in her throat as she reached out to Paul for comfort.

"Can… Can we go home? B-Back to the cave? Please."

He nodded, "Of course we can, babe. I'm sorry –,"

"_Shelby?" _An eerily familiar voice rang out from behind them.

Her eyes went wide, and she turned to see two people she thought she'd never see again standing not two feet away. "Oh, _Christ_…" she groaned, closing her eyes, in the hopes that maybe, when she opened them, they'd be gone.

They weren't. They stared up at her in disbelief, a mix of anger and relief on their faces. Paul watched the scene, not understanding what was happening yet.

"Fuck, fuck, _fuck._" She cursed, stomping her foot.

"Shelbs… What the hell are you doing here?" The boy on the left, with a gruff voice, asked.

The other boy – they both looked about sixteen – was equally bewildered: "We haven't seen you in _weeks. _We thought you were fucking _dead_."

Shelby bit her lip, un-sure of what to say, as Paul spoke up: "Who are these guys? What's going on?"

The two boys stood in expectant silence, while she looked down at her feet, cursing under her breath.

"The real question is why are you hanging out with a twisted sister reject?" The deep-voiced boy, who had a red ribbon tied around his head, asked.

"He's… He's my boyfriend." She squeaked, shuffling back and forth on her feet. "Edgar, Alan – this is Paul."

The boy on the right gave Paul a disgusted look, "The guy you ditched us for?"

"You know what? It doesn't matter who _I _am – Shelby, who are _they_?" Paul demanded.

She took a deep breath, and swallowed her fear, "This is Edgar," She indicated the boy on the left, "And Alan," The boy on the right raised his hand sullenly, "They're, uhm… They're…"

"We're her brothers." Edgar finished for her.

Alan nodded, "She's our sister."

**A/N: **Reviews are love :) I'll update ASAP :D


	5. Shattered

**Chapter 5: Shattered**

"_You know what? It doesn't matter who _I _am – Shelby, who are _they_?"_

"_This is Edgar, and Alan. They're, uhm… They're…"_

"_We're her brothers."_

"_She's our sister."_

Shelby knew that Paul was waiting for further information, but all she wanted to do at the moment was get back to the cave – where she was safe… "Guys – I'm sorry, but I can't stay –,"

"Fuck, no!" Alan interrupted, "You've got to come back home! Everyone's gone batshit since you disappeared!"

She shook her head, "No – I _can't. _Listen," she leaned in close to tell them, "You know that cave out the outskirts of the beach?"

"The one with the 'Keep Out' signs all around it?" Edgar asked.

She nodded, "Come to that cave tomorrow – around one o'clock – and I'll explain _everything, _alright?" They hesitated, before agreeing, "And, in the meantime, please – whatever you do – don't tell _anyone _that you've seen me. _Please_." She extended her hand, balled up into a fist, to them, hopefully. They whispered amongst themselves for a moment, then did the same thing – partaking in a three-person fist bump. "Thanks, guys."

"We missed you, sis." Edgar told her, a small grin playing across his face.

Smiling, she pulled them both into a hug. "I miss you, too. And I'm sorry for running away." She looked over at Paul, who was gesturing for her to come with him, and broke the hug. "I'll see you tomorrow. I love you guys." She took Paul's hand and waved to her brothers before leaving with him – headed for… home.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Shelby sighed, running a hand through his hair, lightly. They were sitting on the couch, in the cave, waiting for Edgar and Alan to show up. The rest of the boys were asleep in their dark room; Paul had insisted on being with her when they arrived – just in case.

"About what?" She asked, even though she knew exactly what he was referring to.

Paul raised an eyebrow, "That the two dorks who run the comic book shop are your _little brothers_."

_That's a nice way to describe them… _"I don't know," she replied, shrugging, "It never came up, I guess."

Paul nodded, but she knew he was still burning with questions. He'd get the answers – some of them, anyway – when they got there. The truth was that before she'd become a vampire, she had thought of her brothers. They were the only family she cared about, and she had definitely missed them in her time away from home. They were three years younger than her, which meant that most of her life had been spent watching out for them. They were unpopular all throughout school; mainly because of their obsession – for lack of a better word – with vampires. They had prided themselves on being expert 'vampire hunters' since the age of seven – which was part of why Shelby was so nervous about telling them what she was now. She hoped that, since they were family, they'd be able to look past her state of being. She _hoped_…

Sensing her distress, Paul moved in to wrap his arms around her, tightly. She appreciated this, resting her cheek against his shoulder and sighing. "What if they end up hating me? They hate vampires… They're gonna hate me, too."

Paul brushed the hair out of her face and kissed her forehead, "They _won't_. You're family – and that, like… _means _something."

She bit her lip, holding in her tears, "But… what if?"

He was silent for a moment, then shrugged, "You've still got me. And the rest of the guys."

Before she could reply, they heard the sound of footsteps and straightened up. Shelby's heart was racing – at least, it would be, if it were beating – but she smiled when Edgar and Alan appeared at the entrance. They looked slightly on edge, but had (thankfully) left their weapons at home. They made their way forward cautiously, until they were right in front of her.

"Hi, guys."

"Hey, Shelbs." They replied, in unison.

There was an awkward moment, in which no one moved or spoke – not knowing what to say. Finally, Edgar spoke up: "Well, let's not draw this out – start talkin', sis."

Shelby swallowed, but nodded. "Okay, erm… sit down." She indicated the chair opposite where she was on the couch. Looking over at Paul, who was standing a few feet away, she managed a grin, which he reciprocated. Edgar and Alan sat down beside each other, not speaking, and waited for her to speak again.

"Uhm…" She suddenly felt very uncomfortable and anxious. All eyes were on her. "When was the last time you saw me?"

"About two and a half weeks ago – at home." Alan mumbled, his expression blank.

Edgar added, "You told us you were going for a walk."

"And that you'd be right back."

Guilt flooded her body as she remembered that night. "I went out to the Boardwalk, and I was sitting on the Carousel, when I realized that someone –," she glanced over at Paul, who smirked down at the floor, not meeting her eyes, "– was watching me. He came over, we got to talking, he brought me back here, and… uh…" Her cheeks turned pink, and her brothers shifted uncomfortably in their seats, "You can kind of guess where it went from there."

Paul let out a snort, "Fuck yes they can – can't you, geeks?"

Alan glared at Paul, his lip curling, as Edgar replied, "Excuse me, _Dee Snider_ – we're trying to hear what our sister has to say."

At that comment, Paul laughed and put his hands up in mock-surrender, "The resemblance between you and them is _extremely _vague, sassy." He mumbled.

Shelby rolled her eyes, and continued on with the story: "Anyway, once we were – uh – done with that…" At this point, she wanted nothing more than to run from the room and hide, but they deserved to know the truth. "Guys, you remember when you were little – and… you first got exposed to all that vampire shit? From then on, you told anyone who would listen that vampires were real – including me." The boys nodded, slowly, "I would always tell you that you were wrong; that there was no such thing."

"Are you going somewhere with this?" Alan asked, quietly.

She smiled, nervously, "Yes. You two are vampire experts, right?"

They shrugged. "We kind of are." Edgar replied, wanly.

Feeling more anxious now than she'd ever felt in her life, she gulped and said, "Then look at me. _Really _look at me – and tell me what I'm trying to tell you."

They looked momentarily indifferent – confusion in their eyes – and then they put the pieces together. Alan's eyes widened, as Edgar shook his head, "No… No – you can't… You _aren't_…"

"She's a bloodsucker." Alan whispered, voice low and hostile.

"Ding, ding, ding!" Paul chided, "We have a winner."

Shelby looked from one boy's horrified face to the other, and stammered out, "Yes. I-I am, but this doesn't change anything. I'm still –,"

"Still what?" Edgar flung at her, "Still our _sister_? Still _human?_"

Alan shook his head, as both of them stood up, "A bloodsucker's just that; a bloodsucker. Not human. A _monster_."

She felt herself start to shake on her feet; they were reacting exactly as she had feared. "No – no, guys, I promise I can control it. I –,"

"_Save it_." Edgar spat, turning to follow his brother and breaking into a run.

"Guys, wait!" Shelby cried, propelling herself forward after them. She was fast, but they had a head start. They were yelling things back and forth to one another, panting as they sprinted away. She heard Paul shouting at her to come back, but ignored him – if she could only reach them in time, maybe she could reason with them… She saw light up ahead; she was gaining on them. They were almost within her grasp –

And, suddenly, the whole world was pain. Nothing but _pain_.

Paul was on his feet, chasing after her, before she started screaming.

The pain was blinding. It was too much – unimaginable. White hot and searing, filling her entire body with agony. Paul couldn't take the sound of her screams – every shriek went right through him. She had wondered what the sunlight would do to a vampire – but she'd never expected it to hurt like this. Nothing – not even death – should hurt _this _much.

Finally, he reached her, "Fuck – sassy…"

She was curled up in a ball, just inside of the cave, the sunlight inches from her. Her arm was badly burned, and she was whimpering in pain. Looking out into the daylight, he could just make out Edgar and Alan before they disappeared over the hill. Paul felt so guilty; he could have prevented this… Kneeling beside her crumpled form, he scooped her up into his arms, gently, careful not to touch her where she was hurt. An agonized moan escaped her lips, but she clung to him regardless, tears staining his shirt as she cried.

"Ssshhhh…" he quieted her, rocking her from side to side, slowly, "It's okay. You're going to be okay – I promise…"

Hearing her sob like this was more painful than anything Paul could dream of. She gasped and whimpered, her whole body trembling against his. He could feel the heat of the sun on his back, but the light could not reach them now. God, he was such an _asshole_. How could he let something like this happen to her?

"You're going to be okay," he repeated him, softly, kissing the top of her head and not letting her go even for a second.

Her voice was shaky when she spoke: "Paul… They h-hate me n-now…"

He shook his head, "No – they just freaked. They love you."

"M-my arm –," she wailed, "It hurts s-so much… I thought I was d-dying…"

"I know, baby, I know," he murmured, hating himself, "I'm sorry – I should have tried harder to stop you…"

She sniffed, "You… You did. I didn't listen – it's not your f-fault." Paul nodded, even though he knew it _was _his fault, and sighed. "How b-bad is it?" She asked, wincing shortly.

He glanced down at her left arm, which hung limply at her side. The skin was black – charred – up to her elbow, and blistered. The sight of it was alarming, and it made his stomach churn. He closed his eyes, in an attempt to shake the image from his mind. "It's pretty bad," he admitted, rubbing her back, "How do you feel?"

She huffed out a short breath, "_Awful_…" Looking up at him, she managed a tiny smile, "But you're here – so it's not all bad."

He grinned along with her, before pulling her closer and laying his head down on her shoulder. He felt her good arm tighten around his middle.

"When I heard you scream, I…" He kissed her neck, gently, "I thought I was gonna lose you. I was so… scared – that you were…"

It was her turn to comfort him now, and she replied, "I'm fine. I'm fine, Paul… Don't worry…"

"You're fine now – sure – but what about next time? What if something worse happens to you? You're _my _responsibility, sassy, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I got you hurt, or…" He couldn't bring himself to say 'killed', so he grew silent and just held her.

"You_ won't_. I trust you – always. I know you'll protect me, no matter what."

He laughed, shaky and harsh, and buried his face in her hair. "Just… don't scare me like that – ever again. Okay? I can't… I can't…" He took a breath, then whispered, "_I love you_."

Shelby froze for a second at those words; it was the first time he'd told her that. She closed her eyes, wanting to save this moment in her memory forever. She broke away slightly, and he raised his head to look at her. Smiling, she leaned in to kiss him, wrapping her un-injured arm around his neck. When they broke apart, she looked him the eyes and said, "I love you, too."

The smiled that she received from him in reply was so sincere and grateful – she felt like crying, out of happiness.

"We should get you into bed," he said, standing up with her in his arms, cradled to him like a child. "You need rest. And I'm gonna have a helluva lot of explaining to do when the guys wake up."

She nodded, and let her head rest on his shoulder, as he began to carry her back to their bed, steadily.

**A/N: **Reviews are beautiful :) I'll update ASAP ;D


	6. Make Me Wanna Die

**Chapter 6: Make Me Wanna Die**

**A/N: **This is a very… lemon-y chapter. Just fyi ;)

"Paul, I'm alright – I don't need another pillow."

"Just take it, okay?"

She sighed, leaning forward and allowing him to slide the pillow behind her back; adding to the three that were already there. She really didn't understand why he was babying her like this, but appreciated the fact that he cared about her this much. Just days ago, he had finally admitted how he felt for her – after she had gotten herself injured in the sunlight. Her arm still hurt like hell, and the sight of it did nothing to quell her worries about when – and _if_ – it would heal. The skin up to her elbow was charred black and cracking, like what happens when you chap your lips. It seared with pain every five minutes, which was why she had been bed-ridden for the last 3 days. As much as she _hated_ not being able to go out with the boys and hunt, she didn't complain about her current state. All she wanted to do was get well, and she would do whatever it took to make that happen.

After the boys had woken up, Paul had been the one to explain what had happened to her. They'd all been sympathetic – even David – and helped out as much as they could. Dwayne shared with her about the first time he got burned – it had been on his back, many years ago – and told her that it had healed. That was the only thing that gave her any hope on the subject of her arm.

All of the boys had been the definition of sweet to her since the accident – getting her food (and blood), making sure she had enough blankets, et cetera – and Paul hadn't left her side. He was more than she could ever ask for in a boyfriend, waiting on her and keeping her spirits up. He knew all the right words to say to make her feel better when she was sad, and she was just glad to have him around in a time like this. She loved him more than she could say, and knowing that he felt the same way was comforting. It meant that she didn't have to worry about him leaving her or anything like that. He would always be there for her, and she knew that.

"You're sure you don't want another blanket or… anything?" He asked from his place next to her on their bed.

She nodded, snuggling up to him, careful not to move her injured arm, "I'm sure. Seriously, you worry too much. Another blanket is the _least _of my problems."

Paul wrapped an arm around her, murmuring in her ear, "You're going to be fine. You heard what Dwayne said – it'll heal."

"But," she felt that awful pang in her stomach that came with talking about her brothers, "What about Edgar and Alan? They don't love me anymore – they want to fucking _hunt_ me..."

"Don't worry about them, alright? They'll come around, I know they will. Judging by the way they acted when they found you and knew you weren't missing, they love you very much." He kissed her on the cheek lightly, "And, even if they do try something – they _won't _– I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you. No one's going to hurt you, I promise."

She nodded, but didn't feel much better. After the way they had reacted when she'd revealed her secret, she wasn't sure Edgar and Alan would want anything to do with her; except kill her. And knowing that scared her more than anything. Death would mean… _death_. No Paul, none of her boys – nothing. She couldn't take the thought – and pushed it to the back of her mind. "Get me a smoke, will you?"

He seemed momentarily taken aback, but complied without a word. Reaching into his jacket pocket, be produced his pack of cigarettes and lighter. He handed her one and lit it for her, before doing the same for himself. After taking long drags, they exhaled and laughed, "You alright, sassy?"

She blinked at him, through the smoke, "Oh yeah – I'm A fucking plus, babe." A giggle escaped her lips, as she began to feel bubbly inside, "Woah – what are we smoking?"

It took him second to answer, because he was laughing so hard, "Pot, I guess. And it's fucking _good_, too."

Now it was her turn to snort loudly, overcome in a fit of giggles and rolling into his arms. He blew smoke into her mouth as she kissed him, dazedly, and the room around them started to spin. Colors blinded their eyes and they held onto each other as the only solid things in the universe. Shelby's whole body felt numb and weightless – she couldn't even feel any pain in her arm. He held her tightly to him and she laughed at the feeling of his hands reaching up under her shirt; stroking her back gently. Everything felt so good – better than it had ever felt – and she wanted to touch him. Tossing away her joint, she worked his jacket off his shoulders, pulling his t-shirt off next. She ran her tongue down his torso – God, he was _so _beautiful – as he got her shirt off as well. Resting her forehead on his chest for a moment, she breathed, "Fuck, we're stoned, aren't we?"

His voice was shaky when he replied, "Yeah – pretty much. Can you please not stop?"

Laughing again, she resumed what she'd been doing, her fingers fumbling slightly as she un-did his pants. He kicked them off once she'd worked them down his legs – all of this being done using one hand, amazingly. She grinned at the sight of his erection straining against his underwear, and leaned down to kiss him through the fabric. His body went rigid – she had never done anything like this to him before – and then she finally freed him from the confines of his briefs. Moving in close, she ran her tongue from the base of his cock to the tip, slowly, before whispering, "Mmm, do you ever touch yourself thinking about me, Paul?"

He didn't think it was possible for him to get harder – but the sensation of her hot breath on his was making him crazy. The question she posed was easy to answer, but he couldn't seem to make words come out of his mouth. "I… uh… I…"

She laughed – so softly, it was like bells ringing – and licked him again, sucking on the head for a moment now, before doing it over. Her (good) hand rested on his thigh, scratching lightly. "You… what?" Her voice was low and seductive, fueling the fire in his groin. "_Tell me_. Tell me all of the fantasies you have about me. I know you've done things to yourself before; when you think I'm sleeping…" Her tongue was hot and wet, and he was going mad with desire, "Dirty things… _Naughty _things…" He was _so _turned on at this point, and he was still so stoned – colors were rushing past him in a blur of light. "And, after all the things I've heard you tell yourself when you're wanking off – well… I just hope I'm not disappointing you." She sucked on his shaft now, humming against him quietly.

He groaned, "You're not. That's… You're… really fucking – _shit_." Still exhilarated from the drugs, she smiled and took him in her mouth, earning a sharp gasp from him in response. "_Fuck_."

His hands went to her head, and his fingers wrapped up in her hair, pulling her down further. She gagged for a second, but set a pace after that, bobbing up and down on him. She took in as much of Paul as she could, feeling somewhat dizzy, and he arched his back up off the bed involuntarily. Hands still clutching at her hair, he gasped in time with her mouth, allowing various nonsense and obscenities to escape his lips. "Fuck – I'm gonna… God –," She was _so _good at driving him up the wall.

Jesus, he loved her so fucking much.

As she stroked his happy trail with her fingers, he felt his body tighten, before letting go and spilling himself in her mouth. Hissing, he squeezed his eyes shut and threw his head back on the pillows. "Shit, sassy." He panted, letting go of her hair and groaning when she swallowed around him.

Pulling off, she crawled on top of him and giggled, "Did I do good?"

He chuckled, rubbing his eyes slowly, "Hell yes – that was fucking amazing." She blushed, and he wrapped her up in a bear hug, "Is there anything you _aren't _kick-ass at?"

"Cooking," she replied, automatically, "I can't do it."

"How's your arm?"

She held it up for inspection, and sighed, "It still stings, but it's not nearly as bad it was earlier." Looking at it, she made a face, "I just wish it would heal already. I'm tired of being cooped up inside all day."

"I know. I'm sorry," he kissed her, lightly, "But you know it's for the best. I mean, you can't hunt with an injury like that, right?"

Shelby shrugged, "Maybe I could –,"

"That's a risk I'm not willing to let you take."

She huffed, giving up, "_Fine_. Put your pants back on – the guys'll be back with food soon."

"So?" He lowered his mouth to suck on her neck.

"So –," She rolled her eyes, "They'll be pissed if they walk in on this – again."

Flipping them over so he was on top, he smirked, "I don't give a shit." His hands moved down to push her underwear off, stroking up her legs and making her shiver. "Unless, of course, you want me to stop…" His fingers brushed over her wet center on their way up her body, and she whimpered.

"Fuck you," she breathed, closing her eyes and pulling him into a kiss.

He engulfed her in his arms and slid into her steadily. Her legs wrapped around his hips, pushing him in deeper and causing them to gasp collectively. Paul felt himself giving up to her – giving _himself _up. He had given her everything since they'd met – immortality, protection, love – and yet he felt stronger each day he was with her. It was nice to have someone like her in his life.

She bucked her hips up to meet his thrusts, moaning and clinging to him with her good arm. He whispered things in her ear – random things about how he felt for her – and groaned, laying his head down in the crook of her neck.

"Paul…" She ran her fingers through his hair, as she felt the pleasure building.

"Come for me, sassy," he breathed, slamming into her fast and hard.

"Ah!" She yelped, coming on him – her walls tightening around his hard cock. Gasping, she continued to move with him, until he let go and she felt a spurt of hot wetness in her core. She held him while they both came down off their highs, and whispered, "I love you, baby."

He felt like fucking _singing_. "I love you, too. And you're beautiful."

She snorted, "Clearly, you're still stoned."

Rolling off her, they got under the sheets and he watched her fall asleep. She sighed quietly as she slept, and he stroked her face gently, listening to her steady breathing. After lying like that for a few minutes, he got out of bed and got dressed, moving over to sit down on the couch near the cave entrance. Almost as soon as he'd sat down, he heard the sound of footsteps making their way into the cave, and stood up. He assumed it would be one of the guys, but the face that greeted him around the corner was one he hadn't seen in _years_.

"_Chase?_"

He could hardly believe what he was seeing, but he knew that this was really happening. Chase looked exactly as he had the last time they'd spoken – he _would, _after all, he was immortal. His brown hair, streaked in one place with blonde, was still spiky and messy as ever. He was wearing a red plaid shirt with black jeans and Converse sneakers. It was almost as if they'd never been apart.

"What up, man?" He smiled, moving forward to give Paul a quick hug, "Long time, no see, huh?"

"_Understatement_," Paul replied, no trace of a smile on his face, "What the fuck are you doing here? I thought I'd never see you again."

Chase shrugged, "Well, here I am! Heard you were living in Santa Carla, so I figured I'd come pay you a visit. You look good, bro. How've you been?"

At that point, Paul was still in a state of shock. What was he up to? They hadn't parted on good terms, so why he acting like they were best friends? "Uh… Yeah, I'm doing good. I've been living with my three friends for a long time now –,"

"And I see you've got a chick in your life, too. Unless she's someone else's girl," Chase moved so fast, Paul didn't even see him; in a flash, he was standing beside the bed, staring down at Shelby like a fucking vulture staring down at a dead carcass. Looking back to Paul, he smirked, "She's pretty hot – _please_ tell me you're banging her."

Paul didn't answer, his fists clenched at his sides as anger began to course through him.

"What's her name? Candy? Sheila?" Chase snorted, "How much are you paying her, man? I'm thinkin' a girl like her goes for about a buck fifty –,"

He was across the room in a heartbeat, grabbing Chase and pinning him up to the wall, roughly. _That _was the Chase he remembered – a fucking bastard. Paul heard him chuckle and dug an elbow into his windpipe, making him gag.

"The fuck is your problem?" Paul snarled, his fans bared, "Who the _fuck _do you think you are, man? I haven't seen or heard from you in _decades _and you think you can just barge into _my _life and talk shit about _my _girlfriend? You little _shit._"

Chase shrugged, a smirk on his face, "I love how you've deluded yourself – and whatsername, over there in your bed – into thinking that you're some sort of big, tough leader. That is fucking _rich_, bro – I swear. You actually believe that you've changed? That you're, like, a _hero _now? Huh?"

Paul glared at him, "I _have _changed. I'm not your fucking sidekick – I moved on from that when I walked out on you. Or are you still bitter that I didn't want to be your little flunkie anymore? I didn't want to follow your stupid rules, so you threw a temper tantrum that you've kept going ever since?"

Chase struggled against him, his fangs coming out as well and his eyes dark, "Fuck you, man. You're still a flunkie – hanging around with that bleach blonde fucker, David. Doing whatever he tells you like a good dog. You're a fucking _joke _and you know it."

At that, Paul was ready to rip his lungs out, he was so pissed – but he found himself letting go of Chase. "Get out."

Chase looked surprised, "God, you're still such a pussy. Spineless and gutless 'till the very end, eh?"

"Get _out_," Paul growled again, his eyes narrowed, "or I'll fucking kill you. Don't think I won't. I'm a pussy, right? I'm gutless? Do you really want to stick around to see if that's still true?"

Chase let out a sigh, "Whatever. I'll go – but I have something for you; call it a very belated birthday gift." He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a small, clear baggy – filled halfway to the brim with white powder.

Paul stiffened at the sight, "Is… Is that –?"

"Yeah," He tossed the bag to Paul, who caught it, "Top grade Coke – because I _know _you miss the good ol' days."

He shook his head, memories flooding his tired mind and making him tremble, "N-No, I… I'm done with this, man – I haven't done it in years –,"

"Dude, just take it." Chase turned to leave, "What have you got to lose this time?"

And then he was gone, leaving Paul standing alone, clutching the packet in his shaking hand.

**A/N: **Ooooh, bit of a cliffhanger for you guys ;D Haha, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter (please review if you did – reviews make my life sunny) and I'll update again soon :)


	7. Pieces

**Chapter 7: Pieces**

"A-ha! Check mate – I win." Shelby stated, proudly, moving her pawn into its winning position on the board.

Dwayne let out a frustrated sigh, "I've been playing chess for 100+ years – and yet she beats me _every time_." He shook his head, "Fuck chess, I give up. She's too good."

While Shelby laughed, Marko spoke up from where he stood over Dwayne's shoulder, "You really should've given up two games ago, man." Moving forward, he clapped Shelby on the back, affectionately.

"Don't worry, Dwayne," she said, shrugging, "There's tons of things you're way better than me at."

"I _do _have better hair than you…" He replied, smirking.

She raised an eyebrow, "Now, that's going a little _too _far."

"Yeah," Paul chimed in from his place on the couch, "We all know I've got the best hair of this group."

"Ah, you're full of shit, man." Marko shook his head, winking at Shelby.

"Marko, you're too fucking cheeky for your own good," she said, before standing up to walk over and sit on Paul's lap. He engulfed her in his arms and kissed her gently.

"How's your arm?" David's voice said from behind them, startling her.

Shelby shrugged, holding up her arm to get a good look at it. The skin wasn't exactly _black _anymore – so much as gray – but still cracked, and still painful. "It's getting better," she replied, truthfully.

"Good, because we miss having you around on hunts." Dwayne told her.

"Aww – you guys! Really?" A wide smile spread across her face at his words.

They all voiced their agreement; "Yeah – face it, Shelbs, you're part of the family." Marko said, jovially.

Paul kissed her shoulder, "You're the closest thing I've got that really _feels _like family."

"You're like a sister to me," Dwayne concurred, his voice quiet.

Marko laughed, "Uh-huh. A loud, _obnoxious_ little sister."

"Oh,_ bite_ me, asshole." Shelby retorted, flicking him off.

"I'm just kidding, sis – you know I love you."

She grinned, happily, leaning back against Paul and sighing. "What about you, David?" She didn't have to be able to see him to know he heard her. "Am I a part of… _this_ yet, or not?" There was a short but dreadful silence, in which everyone sat in rapt attention; anxious to hear what his reply would be.

"Let's just say you're not like a sister to _me_, Shelby. You're just… someone I happen to _every single day_. Nothing more, nothing less."

That answer was basically what she'd expected, so she didn't protest. Still, as she listened to David stalk off to another part of the cave, she let out a frustrated groan and closed her eyes. "He's never going to like me, is he?"

"Probably not –," Marko's voice was quickly silenced by a thumping noise, "_Ow!_ Fucking hell, Dwayne – that _hurt_!"

"Come on, man," Dwayne said, standing up and motioning for Marko to follow him, "Let's let Paul handle this, okay?"

Once they were gone, Shelby let the tears she'd been holding in fall down her cheeks. Paul sighed, and wrapped his arms around her body, cradling her to him. "Baby, don't cry – please? Who fucking cares what David thinks anyway?"

"_I _care! Alright? _I _give a fuck." She was so tired of David looking down on her – ever since day one; he'd given her the cold shoulder. "I just don't _get _it. I don't get what his problem with me is, you know? What the fuck did I _do _to make him hate me so much? Do you know? Because – please – enlighten me if you do."

Paul kissed her forehead and stroked her back to calm her down. "It's my fault he doesn't like you, to be honest." When she looked confused, he elaborated, "_I _did this to you – made you what you are. I did exactly what he did with THBWNWNSBDLI."

Now she was _really _confused, "What the fuck is THBW – whatever?"

"The Hell Bitch Who's Name We Never Say Because David Loses It."

"You mean Starr?"

He shrugged, "THBWNWNSBDLI just rolls off the tongue, though –,"

"Get on with what you were saying. Please." She bit her lip to keep from smiling.

"Right. Sorry." He backtracked, "I did exactly what David did to her – except, of course, she ended up being a total bitch and leaving him. When David first met you – when he realized what I'd done – he instantly hated you, because –,"

"Because I remind him of his mistake." She finished for him."

"Bingo." When she continued to look upset, he took her hands in his, "Do you want me to talk to him? I can – if you want. Try and talk some sense into him?"

She shook her head, "You're sweet, but it's alright. If he doesn't like me, that's just find. Somehow, I think I'll be able to survive."

Paul couldn't help but smile, "That's my girl. Hey – do you want the rest of this blood?" He reached over to the table beside the couch and picked up his half-empty glass. She didn't realized how hungry she was until she saw the blood; her throat burned at the sight. Nodding, she took the glass and downed the red liquid in one gulp. And, as she licked her lips, appreciatively, Dwayne's voice broke through the silence: "We're going out. Sun's down. You staying here with her, Paul?"

He nodded, and Shelby let her head rest on his shoulder, contentedly.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"_Come _on, _Paul – just do it."_

He knew this wasn't _really _happening. Somewhere, deep in the back of his mind, he knew this was a dream.

…. Well, not a dream, so much as a memory haunting him in his sleep.

Still, even as he tried to hold on to the knowledge that this was only a memory, he felt un-able to snap out of it. Everything he was seeing in his head was _so _clear; it all seemed… real again.

"_I… I fucking _can't_." He turned, anguished to his friend, and shook his head. "Don't make me do this. Please –,"_

_Chase rolled his eyes, "God, you're _such _a pussy. Do it." _

_He gulped, looking back to the girl. Chase had brought her to the warehouse, tired her to the wall, and fucked her up pretty well. She was bleeding copiously from the gashes and bite marks all over her naked body. She was also crying – begging for something she would never get; to go home. From what Paul could work out from the noises he'd heard since Chase had brought her back, she'd been torn apart, bled, and raped. _

_He closed his eyes at the sight of her, and Chase grabbed him by the shoulders, looking him in the eyes, "Do this for me, man. I just want to fucking _see _you kill her. Is that so much to ask?"_

_Paul knew that, were he alive, his heart would be thumping inside his chest. "Chase… _please_," he knew he wasn't going to win this, but tried anyway, "This is sick. She… She's your fucking sister –,"_

_Chase laughed in his face, "You are _so _boring – do you know that? You're a _vampire_ – start acting like one."_

_Without warning, he grabbed Paul's arm and jerked him forward, throwing him against the girl. Her body trembled against his, and she whimpered, "Please… Oh god –! Please let me go…"_

_Before Paul could say anything in response, there was a tearing noise, and then the girl was screaming in agony again. Looking down, he saw that Chase had bitten into her wrist with his fangs, and was merrily sucking her blood. He only drank a little, so as not to kill her, and stood up, wiping the red liquid off his mouth. Pushing Paul away, he leaned in to talk to his sister, a sinister smirk on his pale face._

"_Hey, Roxy. How do you feel?"_

_She glared at him, her face set and shining with tears, "Fuck you."_

_He raised an eyebrow, "Always the spunky one, aren't we, sis?"_

"_You know it, asshole." She retorted, before spitting in his face._

That _wiped the smile right off; now he looked livid. Without another word, he slapped her, hard, across the face, causing her to yelp. As she spat blood out of her mouth, he turned away and spoke once more, "Paul. Get the fuck over here and kill this whore." When Paul did not movie, he growled, "_Now._"_

_He didn't know what to do, but found himself moving forward to stand in front of Roxy. As much as he wanted to stop, he couldn't help but breathe in the intoxicating scent of her blood. What blood she had left, anyway. As he looked at her, a tear rolled down her cheek, but she did not plead, did not beg or whine. Not anymore. He felt sick from how indifferent she'd become. He could tell that she no longer cared whether she lived or died. Chase's demented laughed filled his ears and he cursed himself as he followed his orders; leaning in and slitting her throat with his fangs._

_She died quickly, blood spurting from the slash across her neck and staining Paul's pained face._

_As Chase applauded and whistled, jubilantly, he stood staring at Roxy's lifeless, blood-soaked body – hating himself._

"Paul!" A voice – _her _voice – broke through his memories, calling to him, "Baby? Wake up!"

"_Nice job, man." Chase told him, clapping him on the back, "Damn, that was fun."_

"_Fuck off," Paul shook his head, teeth clenched and head spinning, "Just… I can't…"_

"Paul!" Her voice cried, worry lacing her words. He could feel himself being shaken vigorously and everything he remembered and felt was bleeding together and –

His eyes burst open. Blinking rapidly and gasping, he saw her face hovering over his. Her beautiful face. _This_ was real. He had been caught in the middle of a flashback, but it was over. She was here.

"Are you okay? You were tossing and turning and saying… things," her voice was sympathetic, "I didn't know what else to do."

Wordlessly, he reached out to her, arms outstretched, and, wordlessly, she pulled him into an embrace, holding him close and tight. In that moment, with his face pressed up against her shoulder, he lost it. He lost the persona he'd built up for all those years; the walls encasing him broke down, and he felt his body start to shake as the tears found him. He let them out – he let _everything_ out – and cried, for the first time in what felt like ages.

When Shelby realized he was crying, she didn't push him away or ask why, she simply hugged him tighter, kissing the top of his head and rocking him in her arms. He couldn't remember feeling more thankful to another person in his life than right then. He _needed _her, and she knew that, trying her best to make everything okay. Clinging to her, he sobbed and trembled. All she did was hold him, stroking his blonde hair, and it was more than he could ask for from anyone. All his life, he'd been pushed around and spit on by those he trusted. He'd been so hungry for approval and put up with _so_ much… He thought of the things he'd done and the people he'd hurt and his fucking heart _ached _with it all.

So, he cried. He fucking bawled – in her warm, comforting arms – as his past caught up with him and filled his head.

"It's okay," she whispered, gently, "It's okay, baby…"

His voice quivered when he spoke, "I love y-you."

She nodded, pulling out of the hug to lean in and kiss him, "I love _you_," she breathed, kissing his tears away and caressing his cheeks.

Even as his heart swelled at those words, he couldn't help but remember that he still had the "present" Chase had given him a few days ago…

**A/N: **So sorry for the horrible ending there :P I just want a majority of the drama to be in chapter 8, so I added a cliffhanger ending to make it "work". Also, I apologize for how long it's been since I updated :( I hope this makes up for it – even though it's awful. Chapter 8 will be up ASAP ;D


	8. Give Me Novacaine

**Chapter 8: Give Me Novacaine**

Shelby spent much of the next day alone, oddly enough. After Paul's emotional episode the night before – which he'd refused to explain to her – they had fallen asleep. But when she woke up, Marko had told her that Paul said he needed some time alone. As much as she _hated _the idea of him suffering in silence, she decided to respect his wishes. She figured she didn't have too much to worry about, as long as he came back to her relatively soon. After all, she trusted him to not do anything rash. She knew that, whatever his problem was, he would fill her in once he was ready. All she had to do was give him time…

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"Do you think he's okay in there?" She questioned, her voice hollow, "It's been two days." Paul hadn't come out of his room yet, and Shelby was beginning to worry.

Dwayne put a hand on her shoulder, comfortingly, "I'm sure he is. Don't worry about him; he can take care of himself."

Marko nodded in agreement, but Shelby shook her head, "No. No – you guys didn't… _see _him that night. He was… I've never seen him like that before… So broken and _fragile_ –,"

"Shelbs, we know, okay? We know what Paul's like when he's upset," Marko shrugged, "He broods on his own for a while, but he always gets over it. He moves on."

She look down at her hands, "I just… I don't know what to do. I want to be there for him, but he won't let me… Letting him wallow in misery by himself is _not _the right thing to do. He shouldn't beat himself up over whatever's bothering him. I should _be _with him right now."

Both boys look sympathetic, and then Dwayne said, "I can go check on him, if you want."

Shelby nodded, slowly, "Can you ask him if he wants to see me?"

"Of course. I'll be right back." And, in a flash, he was gone.

By the time he returned, she had bitten her fingernails down to nubs from anxiety. "So, what did he say?"

The look on Dwayne's face was stony, and he replied, "Not much, to be honest –,"

"But you were gone for, like, ten minutes!" Marko interrupted, agitated.

"I know that, but he hardly said one word to me, man." Dwayne said, turning to Shelby, "I asked if he wanted to see you, and all he did was shake his head. The only thing I could get out of him was a 'hey' when I first walked in there… I don't know what to think, but something is definitely not right."

She stood up, "Then I _have _to see him. I can't… I can't let him do this to himself."

Marko grabbed her arm, stilling her, "No, you really shouldn't do that. I'm serious. When Paul's upset, we leave him alone. That's just what we do. He _will _get over whatever this is, I fucking know he will."

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

After waking up alone for the third day in a row, Shelby passed over worrying and into the realm of panic. She paced back and forth for at least three straight hours, trying to piece together what was going on. The boys did their best to calm her down – even David took pity on her – telling her not to stress out and to "relax" or "breathe" or "chill".

"I can't!" She ended up yelling at them, "I fucking _can't_ just sit down and act like something _isn't _wrong with the guy I love. I'm sorry, but I can't."

"Well, _try _to, then." David advised, warily, "Your pacing is giving me one helluva headache."

"Why can't I go in and talk to him? Why? He needs me –,"

"Yeah? Well, evidently, he doesn't – or he would have asked to see you." He pointed out, "So… calm your tits for a while, alright?"

Shelby was taken aback by that comment, "Dude – what the hell? 'Calm your tits'?"

He shrugged, taking a long drag from the cigarette in his hand, "Stop obsessing over this. Your fuck buddy will be fine; he _always _is."

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"_Four _fucking days." Her voice was tired – her whole body was – and she was verging on dejected now. "_Four._ Does – does he even _realize _what worrying about him is doing to me? I can't… eat, I can't fucking sleep, I can't stop thinking about him…" She laughed, humorlessly, tears brimming in her eyes, "I just… miss him. I _really _fucking miss him."

Marko moved in to wrap his arms around her, while she started to cry, "I know you do, sis, I know. I'm so sorry – I don't know why he's doing this or what's running through his head. I wish there was something I could do."

She shook from the sobs that racked her body, holding on to him for support and feeling more thankful to him that ever. "The last t-time you tried to t-talk to h-him, he w-wouldn't even l-let you in the r-room?"

He nodded, patting her on the back, "Yeah. He told me to fuck off. He's my friend, you know? He's my _best _fucking friend, and I don't know what to do to help him. I'm a waste of space – I'm flat-out useless… but I never thought there'd be a time when I wouldn't be able to think of _some _way to help him."

"I know h-how you f-feel," she whispered, not nearly ready to pull out of the hug yet, "But this – whatever he's g-going through – isn't your fault." After a moment of silence, she added, "Tomorrow, if he still hasn't come out, I'm _going _to see him. I don't care if he tells me to go away, I _will _see him."

Marko seemed to approve of this choice, "I think that's a good idea. He probably needs to see you."

"Thanks for this hug," she smiled, half-heartedly, still not pulling away, "You're the best."

"Don't mention it. You're family – this is what families do for each other, right?"

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

When day five arrived, she waited a few hours to see what would happen. Of course, nothing did, so she decided it was time for her intervention. Though David and Dwayne urged her not to, Marko encouraged her; he even walked her to the room for moral support. As she lifted her hand to the door, she gestured for Marko to go, took a deep breath, and knocked twice.

A beat. And then: "Fuck _off, _Marko." His voice alarmed her. It sounded different; unlike him.

"Uh… It's not Marko. It's me." She was hyper-aware of how hard she was shaking, but tried to ignore it. "Can I come in?"

There was no answer, but when she tried the doorknob, she found it was unlocked, and pushed the door open slowly. The room was pitch dark, but – being a vampire and all – she could see everything. The place was a fucking _pigsty; _the bed covers were ripped and strewn all over the floor; the wallpaper peeling; the drawers and shelves hanging open. Paul was curled up in a ball on the floor next to the bed, his arms wrapped tight around his knees. If that wasn't enough to increase her worry, the look on his face was. He was… _smiling_. When she listened, she could make out the faint sound of his laughter; manic and breathy. Like how you laugh when you're uncomfortable or nervous.

"Paul?" She said, quietly, "Are you… okay?"

That made him laugh harder, unsteadily, "You have _no _fucking idea how okay I am, sassy. I'm fucking fantastic. I lost the feeling in my legs twenty minutes ago and then I saw stars."

_What is he talking about? _"Wow – that, um… that sounds great – but what's going on? We – _I _– haven't seen you in days." She knelt down beside him, "Why are you hiding from us?" When she got closer, he recoiled, burying his face in his knees and trembling. He wasn't laughing anymore – he seemed terrified. "Baby, talk to me. _Please _talk to me. Let me help you."

"I don't need help!" He shouted, suddenly, his voice muffled slightly by his knees. "Go away. Or the monster will get you."

Her eyebrows furrowed, "Monster? What monster?"

His insane laughter started up again, soft but chilling, "Me, princess."

"You're not a monster. You're _not._ You can't possibly –,"

"I am, I am, I am," he choked out through his giggles, "I'm a monster out of a story book, I'm a horror movie villain, I'm a sparkly teenage dream – whatever."

"Why – because you're a vampire?" She was trying _so _hard to understand what was wrong. He was so fucking _out _of it.

"And _bingo _was his name-o." The laughter was uncontrollable now – it sounded like it was paining him.

Shelby sighed, "So? Just because you're a vampire doesn't mean you're a monster. _I'm _not a monster, am I?"

"No," he rasped, "You're a whore."

He may as well have slapped her across the face, because that's what it felt like. She sat in stunned silence for a moment, before stuttering out, "Wh-what? Paul… _What_?"

His laugh was scornful that time – it went through her like a blade. "Don't pretend you aren't. You're a whore because you fucking _asked _for this. God… fuck you for wanting this."

"You mean because I asked you to turn me?" She was so tired of this; she was nowhere nearer to figuring out his problem, "Because I _asked _to become one of you?"

"I didn't want this for you, but you begged me for it." He sounded agonized and she wished that she could see his face. "So you're a fucking whore. And I let you into my life and decided to love you because I'm a moron and I don't deserve you because I'm _shit_." His laughter turned into desperate sobbing and it made her heart ache. She reached out, but he would not let her touch him. As soon as it had started he fell silent, then whispered, "Do you want to know the things I've done, sassy?" The tone of his voice chilled her to the bone, and she gulped as he murmured, "I've watched people _beg _for their lives before spilling their blood and fucking _wallowing _in it. I've slaughtered men and women alike out of sheer _boredom_ – just because I could."

"Paul, stop it." He was scaring her.

He laughed shortly, his voice quivering as he continued, "I once tied a man down and made him watch while I ripped his daughter to shreds. And I fucking _laughed _when her blood splattered onto his face. I've done terrible fucking things, baby – and you know what? I enjoyed every _single _second of it."

"_Stop it_," she begged, shaking her head and holding back tears, while he chuckled madly. "Don't say shit like that. We've all done things we regret – it's _okay_. You've changed. You're good now."

He full on guffawed at that, his entire body shaking. "Stop fucking talking about me like you _know _me. You don't. You _don't_. So don't fucking act like you _understand_, because you don't. You _can't._"

He choked on his own laughter, coughing and gasping, while she racked her brain for what she should do. He was still curled up in a ball, and he seemed so tiny and break-able. Tears fell down her cheeks at the sight. She loved him _so _much… "Paul, _please_, please tell me what's wrong. I'm tired of this."

"I can't," he whimpered, tears shining on what little she could see of his face, "I can't talk to you – it hurts too much. Hurts me…"

"Sit up for me – that's all you have to do. Just sit up so I can see you, okay?" She asked, gently.

Paul hesitated for a moment, before nodding and doing what he was told, straightening up with his back against the bed. When he glanced up at her, she felt worse for him than ever. He looked exhausted – and his eyes were bloodshot. When she moved in closer – he didn't protest, thank god – she saw a sheen of sweat on his face, and put a hand to his forehead. "You're burning up. What the fuck is wrong? Tell me _now_."

As she stroked his cheeks, he shrugged, "I opened up my present and there was a surprise inside just for me. But I used it all up and now it's gone," he burst out laughing, tired and worn-out, "But I had fun."

"What are you _talking_ about? What present? Show me." She grabbed his arms in her urgency and looked down to see a series of scars on both of his wrists. Some were healed – for the most part – but others look fresh and bloody. She gasped, "Oh my god, Paul – what have you fucking _done _to yourself? Jesus –," He reached into one of the open drawers near them and pulled out a small, clear, empty baggy. As he handed it to her, she asked, "What was in this?"

Paul rolled his eyes and shrugged again, "It's white, it's powder-y, it makes you feel fucking awesome…"

When that past puzzle piece finally slid into place in her mind, she growled, "_Cocaine_? So, what – you fucking do drugs now? And what's with the hack jobs on your wrists? Are you trying to _kill _yourself? Is that what you –?"

"_No!_" He looked and sounded delirious at that point, "It was only punishment."

She was _so _far beyond frustrated by now; she wanted to shake him. "Punishment for _what_?"

But she never got to find out the answer to her question, because the next thing she knew, someone had grabbed her from behind, stuffing some cloth into her mouth to stifle her screams. She saw Paul struggling with another person who held him with a knife pressed against his throat. Even so, he was still chuckling to himself - she could see tiny beads of crimson blood appear as he fought and laughed. And then something very heavy collided with her skull, and blackness swallowed her whole.

**A/N: **Sorry for the major cliffhanger, guys :P It had to be done. I AM SO EXCITED FOR CHAPTER 9. I don't know about you guys – but I am_ psyched_. It's going to be a bit of a bitch to write, but I'm always up for a challenge here and there ;D Hope you guys enjoyed this fucker of a chapter – I'll update as soon as I can :)


	9. Eat You Alive

**Chapter 9: Eat You Alive**

When Shelby first opened her eyes, she had _no _idea where she was. Her surroundings were shrouded in dim light, and she seemed to be tied, face-up, to a table. Looking to her right, she caught sight of a bunch of cardboard boxes stacked on top of one another, and what looked like a garage door in the middle of the wall. Her head throbbed with pain, and she remembered what had happened. She had been in that room with Paul, and they'd been… kidnapped. She recalled being whacked over the head by something very heavy – and was sure there was a bump on her head from the collision… As she blinked in confusion, she rolled her head to the left and gasped at what she saw; Paul.

His eyes were shut – _he must be unconscious, _she thought, anxiously – his arms raised and bound with rope to a metal bar over his head. That wasn't nearly the worst part; his shirt was torn open; his torso ridden with bloody gashes and dark bruises; one of his eyes swollen and black; his arms still plagued with self-induced scars. He looked dreadful and she was scared now. Scared, because whoever had done this to Paul was going to do the same to her. Oh god, they were going to die. Oh _god_… She felt tears build in her eyes and took a breath to calm herself. This was _not _a time for panicking – she needed to think of a way out of this mess.

From what she could see of the surrounding room, they were in some sort of warehouse, and they were alone – for now, anyway. She struggled with the rope keeping her hands tied down, but couldn't get free, no matter how hard she tried. Her head ached as a million thoughts ran through it at once, and she let out a groan of frustration. _Who would do this to us? _was the first thought that came to her mind. She couldn't think of anyone who would want to hurt her – or Paul. But, then again, she didn't know _any _othervampires apart from the boys… Edgar and Alan would never do something like this. They hated her kind, but this wasn't like them at all.

As the fact that she had absolutely no clue what was going to happen hit her, she heard a small noise and looked over to see that Paul had regained consciousness. His breathing was shallow, ragged, and he blinked for a few seconds, before realizing what was going on.

"Sh… Shelby?" He rasped out, worry lacing his words.

"What's happening, Paul?" She was desperate for answers, "Where are we?"

He shook his head, a look of sheer terror on his bruised face, "Sassy, listen to me: You _have _to get out of here. You have to _go_. He's… He'll be back any minute –,"

"I can't," she indicated her bindings, "What are you talking about? Who did this to us?"

But Paul merely shook his head again, before whispering, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm _so _fucking sorry –,"

"Sorry for _what_?" Anger coursed through her veins now, as she fought against the rope tied around her wrists. "Shit... Paul, I'm scared."

They locked eyes, and he murmured, "I know. I'm so sorry, baby – I fucked _everything _up."

"This isn't your fault," she told him, wishing that he could hold her in his arms – like he always did.

Silence, as he blinked back tears, and then: "I love you more than I've ever loved anything. Don't forget that."

That scared her more than anything else had so far. This proclamation of love felt more like a goodbye, and her stomach churned at the anguish in his eyes. "I love you, too." She replied, a lump rising in her throat.

"Well," a voice said from another corner of the warehouse, "Aren't you two sweet." Shelby couldn't see the source of the voice, but she could tell it belonged to a man – and that said man was their enemy, because Paul had stiffened, his eyes darkening.

Then, she heard the sound of footsteps moving closer to them, and the man appeared. She strained to see him, since she was on her back, but got a pretty good look; he was tall and annoyingly attractive, with short, brown hair – streaked, in one place, with blonde. He was wearing black skinny jeans and a checkered, zip-up hoodie. When she looked again, she saw stains of blood on his sleeves.

"Oh, good, you're finally awake." He stepped forward so he was beside the table, gazing down at her. He had black guyliner around both eyes and a lip piercing, which completed his stereotypical emo-band-boy look. "How're you doing, sweetheart?"

Her eyes narrowed, "Who are you?"

He looked mock-appalled, "Oh yeah – how rude of me. My name's Chase." The smile he flashed at her revealed pearly white teeth. "But, of course, I already know _your _name." Leaning down, so his nose was almost touching hers, he breathed, "You're even more gorgeous with your eyes open, Shelby."

She turned her head to the other side, away from him, "What do you want? Why did you kidnap us?"

Chase smiled again, straightened up, and shrugged, "Well… Paul's been away for far too long, you see, and even though it's mostly, er… what's that fucker's name?... _David's _fault, you're partly to blame, right?" She said nothing, so he went on, "I mean, you're basically Paul's _slut_ –," Behind him, Paul started to thrash in anger, struggling against his bindings and growling. This seemed to amuse Chase, because he continued, "But, see, that's the problem. You – and all your boys – have _kept _him from me. So, I'm going to punish you, naturally. And, since he ran away from me in the first fucking place, I've already started punishing him." That explained Paul's worse-for-wear appearance.

Shelby knew there was something they weren't telling her. "How… How do you know Paul? Why is he so important to you?"

There was a devilish gleam in Chase's eyes now – and it made her want to scream. "Do you mean to say that my man _hasn't _told you about me?" He looked genuinely surprised, but let out a shout of laughter all the same, "Oh, _fuck _me, this is going to be more fun that I thought." Pausing for dramatic effect, he took a breath, and then said, "I made Paul what he is. I'm his _maker_. Hell, he may as well call me 'dad', becauseItook care of his ass for _decades._"

"You're," Shelby blinked, "You _turned _him?"

Chase nodded, "Believe it or not, your fuck buddy had one helluva wild side before he met you, beautiful." Moving over to stand beside Paul, who wasn't thrashing anymore, but still looked murderous, he murmured, "Do you want to tell her – or shall I? Hmm?"

"Tell me what?" She was so confused at this point.

"_The truth_." Chase replied, "She has a right to know – something about your past, don't you think? Just one little anecdote?" Without waiting for an answer, he turned back to Shelby, a horrible smirk on his face now. "Let me tell you about one of boyfriend's greatest hits." He glanced over his shoulder at Paul, "Do you remember that night in Paris? In… was it 1887?"

Paul's eyes widened, "Chase – please, don't. _Please –," _

"'Cause I remember it so fucking well, man." Chase seemed to take great pleasure in Paul's anguish. "Paris is… a _lovely _place. Everyone knows Paris as the city of love and beauty. But you know what the best thing about it is? The _women_." He winked at Paul, "Right, bro?"

"Stop," he pleaded, voice low, "_Please_ stop."

Making his way back to stand next to Paul, he grabbed him by the throat and smiled, "One night, after wasting our day at a bar, me, Paul, and two of my other boys went out to find women. And – if you've never been to France before – back then, there were whores on _every _corner. Ready to do anything a paying customer wanted from them. So, we rounded up a couple, and headed back to the hotel we were staying at. Our room was on the top most floor – a master suite, remember?" Paul looked horrified, as Chase continued, "I'll cut right to the highlights. Paul's girl was called… Alice, wasn't she?"

Paul struggled against the grip Chase had on his neck, "You son of a bitch –,"

His grip tightened, causing Paul to choke, and he growled, "Shut the fuck up – I'm telling a story here. Where was I? ... Oh yeah – Alice. _Wow_ – she was such a slut, but not like the other girls we got. They were all about the sex, but she was more about having fun. And, let me tell you, Shelby, Paul had a _lot _of fun with her. Fucked her every way he knew how – the noise was unbearable – and then the _real _fun started. The fun that involved bloodshed, and screaming. Let me see… First, I think he made sure to prevent her from screaming, so…" He broke off to rummage inside one of the boxes near Paul's feet, and extracted a roll of duct tape. Paul began to plead again, and Shelby joined in, scared out of her mind. Tearing off a strip of tape, he placed it over Paul's mouth, so he was cut off, but continued to thrash. "Then, I'm pretty sure he did something like this," Shelby watched as he pulled a bloodstained knife out of the pocket of his hoodie.

"No!" She cried, knowing that whatever he was going to do wouldn't be good. "No – don't!"

But, of course, he didn't listen to her, and proceeded to run the sharp blade from Paul's collarbone diagonally down his abdomen, opening up the skin. The tape stifled Paul's cries, but her heart twisted at the sounds and the way he closed his eyes against the pain. Blood flowed freely from the long cut, adding to the number of injuries he'd already obtained from Chase. "Leave him alone!" Tears clouded her vision as she watched Paul tremble and bleed.

"I'm not done with the story yet, love. And don't worry about him – he's got a high tolerance for pain. I witnessed that up closed during our time together earlier." He ran a hand over Paul's black eye, "My, that was a laugh… Anyway, back to the story: After that, he held her down, kissed her, and told her something that I've never forgotten. He said '_Everything's going to be okay, darling. You're going to see death up close.' _And then he let her go. He paid her, and let her walk away. But, you know what? As soon as she got to the door, he came up behind her and took her. I'd never seen him drink so deeply before. Every _drop _of blood in that girl's body… And then, he dropped her onto the floor, looked over to me, and _laughed_." Reaching up, Chase ripped the strip of tape off Paul's mouth, making him shout in pain.

"_Fuck you_," Paul gasped, bloody chest heaving, "Fucking bastard…"

Chase punched him, hard. So hard that Shelby saw him spit blood out of his mouth. "You know, I am _hurt _– wounded – by your attitude. And _I _think it's time I got down to business."

He moved over to Shelby now, while Paul protested, gnashing his fangs and hissing, "Leave her alone, you sick son of a bitch." Chase chuckled, twirling the knife in his hands and leaning down to breathe in her scent. "Chase! No – god, _please_ – not her. Do whatever you fucking want to me, just _don't _hurt her!"

She recoiled – as much as she could in her confines – from Chase, but did not show fear. She would not be reduced to a sniveling damsel in distress. Glaring up at him, she said, "Go ahead. _Try _me."

The vampire paused, his face inches away, and then his mouth was on hers. She tried to turn away, but his hand held her, roughly, by the hair. His lips were bruising, and she felt something sharp on her lip before realizing he'd bitten her. Yelping in pain, she waited until his tongue slithered into her mouth, then bit down.

"Fuck!" He yelled, pulling away from her, a look of utter malice on his face. "You little _bitch_." When she opened her mouth to retaliate, he covered it with his hand, looking her dead in the eyes. "Do you know what happens to a whore when she doesn't do what's asked of her?" She could hear Paul struggling, but couldn't see past Chase. "I'm not talking about when she doesn't get wet for the customer," She gasped as he ran a hand over her crotch, feeling her through her jeans, "Because, believe me, that doesn't matter to a guy who wants sex –,"

Her whole body was tensed, and she wasn't able to hide how scared she was anymore, "Stop it, stop it, _stop it_," she begged, her voice shaking.

"I'm talking about when a whore _refuses _to do what she's _told_." His bloodied tongue snaked out from between his lips to lick her jaw, "When that happens – well, things are a bit different now than they were in 1887, aren't they?"

"Chase!" An hour ago, if he weren't tied up, Paul would have killed him, but after watching him treat his girl like this, he was ready to _slaughter _him. "Get the _fuck _away from her!"

Chase ignored him, "Back then, a disobedient whore would simply be thrown out on the streets, where she'd come from, without any money. But nowadays, that whore would probably be _killed _before she could even defend herself."

"No! No," Paul was close to hysteria, willing himself not to break down in front of Chase. "_Stop _– don't hurt her. I'll do _anything_. Please –,"

"Tell her everything's going to be alright." Chase murmured, stroking her cheeks lightly and smiling.

Paul looked aghast, his eyes shining with tears, "Chase, please. Don't make me do this."

"Just like Paris. _Tell her _everything's going to be okay – _re-assure her." _Chase's voice was dangerous, and Shelby gulped. "Make it sound sincere, and I might let her live."

Paul's eyes met hers, and he did his best to compose himself, before whispering, "Everything will be okay, baby. I…" His voice sounded thick with emotion – he was getting choked up, "I _promise _it'll be alright. I'm going to protect you. I promised to protect you, remember?" She nodded, crying freely now. "Everything will be okay."

Chase laughed, coldly, "How fucking beautiful – someone get me a hankie."

Before she could say anything in response, she closed her eyes – just for a second. A _second_. But, in that second, she heard Paul let out a shout of "_No_!" before pain filled every crevice of her body and mind. Her eyes burst open and she discovered that Chase had driven his knife into her side – right above her hip. Screaming in agony, she thrashed, uncontrollably, which dug the knife in deeper. Lights burst in her vision, and she saw Chase smiling. She heard Paul sobbing and calling her name, telling her he was sorry…

But she didn't seem to be able to keep her eyes open any longer. She felt blood seeping through her shirt, pooling under her, and then she let herself drift into a void, her eyes sliding shut.

Paul struggled harder than ever, gasping as the rope burned into his wrists, determined to help her. To _save _her. But Chase merely turned to him, a smug grin on his face, and said "Good night, brother," before beating him unconscious.

**A/N: **Fast updates, I know! Marvelous, right? Lol, I don't know what's going on, but I suddenly have all this wonderful inspiration and since it's summer, I've got so much time for writing ;D Chapter 10 is already in the works, and it's going to be pretty fucking action-packed. I won't update for a while, though, because I want this next chapter to be, like, absolutely perfect.

P.S: Shelby (and Shanna), did you notice the little bit I kind of borrowed from "Dark Knight" at the end? Yeah, I thought it worked, I so I used it. I'm sure it made you cry, Shelby, since that part of the movie always manages to :P Haha, love you! :D


	10. Cry Little Sister

**Chapter 10: Cry Little Sister**

"_Tell her everything's going to be okay – _re-assure _her." _

"_Everything will be okay, baby." _He could see her face as he had said those words. She had been crying, of course, tears staining her cheeks, and whimpering in fear. Even so, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about how beautiful she was… "_I _promise _it'll be alright. I'm gonna protect you."_

Chase's voice, just as heartless as ever, had said something – and then her screaming had filled his ears. It's knocked all his strength, all his willpower, out of him. In that moment – with the woman he love's screams ringing in his ears – he had wanted to die.

Fuck, he had wanted it _so _badly.

Because, surely, death could not be as bad as what he'd gone through then. Death must be better than the absolute _torture _of hearing her scream like that.

Then, Chase had muttered, "_Good night, brother," _and he had checked out, slipping into nothingness.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

When Paul came to, he couldn't bring himself to open his eyes. He could tell, judging by the sounds he heard, that what he'd see would be the opposite of good.

"_Stop!_" Shelby's voice begged, quivering with pain and fear, "No – _don't, _please! No!"

Another ear-splitting scream pierced Paul's ears, and he could bear it no longer. Opening his bruised eyes, he saw that Chase was hovering over Shelby, with his back to him. His arms were busy doing something that Paul couldn't see; something that was causing her great pain. "Ssssh, it's almost done – stop squirming," Chase told her. As much as Paul wanted to speak up, he couldn't due to another strip of tape that had been placed over his mouth.

Another scream – he couldn't stand this – and he heard her moaning, sobbing, _pleading _for him to stop. "Pl-_please_…!"

Chase laughed then, before holding her down and busying himself again with whatever he was doing – making her shriek and cry out even more. The sound alone was enough to drive anyone mad, and he was in hell listening to her pain.

"There. All done," Chase stowed the knife he'd been equipped with in his back pocket, "What do you think of it, Paul?" And, he moved aside, so that Paul could see his handiwork.

The sight made his blood _boil_.

Shelby lay on the metal table, hands still tied down on either side of her body with rope – same for her legs. He shirt had been removed – along with her bra – and Paul could finally see what Chase had been working on when he'd woken up; the word 'SLUT' had been carved into her torso, vertically, running down in-between her breasts to her stomach, where he could make out the spot where Chase had stabbed her. Tears shone on her pallid, exhausted face, and Paul felt his entire body tense with anger. Blood flowed from the letters Chase had hacked into her, and she was shaking uncontrollably.

"Fuckin' masterpiece, isn't it?" Chase grinned at Paul, who did nothing but glare. "What was that? I can't hear you, dumbass -," Moving forward, he pulled the strip of tape off Paul's mouth.

"I'm going to rip you apart, man." Paul snarled, teeth clenched, "I _swear_." He could hear Shelby's panting, and called out, "Babe – are you alright?"

She giggled breathily, then winced, "Define 'alright'."

"I know. But don't worry; I'm going to get us out of here."

At that, Chase lunged forward, his eyes ablaze with anger. "I wouldn't waste my time filling up her head with _lies – _if I were you. It's pointless, and it seems cruel to give her false hope."

"It's not a lie. I _am _going to save her," he replied, shrugging, "And, in the meantime, Sassy's strong. She's fucking _tough_; you're not going to break her."

Chase considered his words, before raising an eyebrow, "You know what? I'm kind of over you and your shitty attitude -," Lifting a hand, he pressed his thumb into the gash in Paul's torso. Paul let out a groan of agony, eyes closed, teeth gritted, and Shelby felt even more sympathy for him. He was so good at putting up walls to make himself seem un-caring and… hide who he really was. But Shelby knew – more so now than ever – how truly breakable, how scared, he was on the inside. You wouldn't think it, if you saw how he acted around the boys, but horrible situations tend to reveal people's true feelings.

"I do have one thing I'm curious about," Chase said, to the room at large, "There's a trace of an almost… charred-looking scar on her arm. What's it from?"

"She got burned in the sunlight once," Paul replied, so Shelby wouldn't have to.

At that, a dangerous gleam lit in Chase's eyes, and he moved closer to Paul, "It was _your _fault, wasn't it?"

Paul opened his mouth to speak, but said nothing. Shelby spoke for him: "No. It wasn't."

"Shut up, bitch," Chase's words hit her like a ton of bricks, "I'm talking to _Paul_. Not _you_." He turned to her, reached out, and ran a finger over the still-bloody letters carved into her torso. Lifting his hand to his mouth, he licked her blood off, smacking his lips. "Now," he said, turning his attention back to Paul, who's teeth were clenched in disgust, "You wanna know what _I _think? _I _think that her getting burned _was _your fault. _I _think that you didn't even bother to run after her until she was already screaming –,"

"That's a fucking _lie_!" Shelby cried, angrily, "He couldn't have stopped me! It wasn't his –,"

"Honey, I _swear_, if you interrupt me when I'm talking again, I will slit your throat faster than you can say 'sorry'." He flashed a smile that made her shiver; it was so full of malice. Needless to say, she made a mental note to keep her mouth shut.

"Don't talk to her like that, man." Paul's voice was calm but dangerous all the same. "You have no fucking right. You're such a dick – what the _hell _has she done to you? Your problem's not with me, not her. So take it out on _me_."

Chase laughed at that, "How valiant. You're a regular knight in shining armor, aren't you? Just tell me something – the truth…" Shelby held her breath for him to speak again. "And, if you answer _truthfully_, I'll let you both go. Got it?"

Paul nodded and Shelby felt her heartbeat speed up. "What do you want to know?"

Chase's voice was empty, as he said, "Have you ever _lied _to your princess over there before?"

She watched Paul carefully; his face stayed calm, but his body tensed, which confused her. He hadn't ever lied to her before. _Had he? _She tried to clear her mind of doubt, as he opened his mouth to reply, "No, I haven't."

But his voice was uncertain, and Chase shook his head, "Uh-oh, that's the wrong answer." Before anyone could speak, he had raised a fist and punched him. Paul cried out in pain.

"That wasn't a lie, Chase! Fucking hell –,"

"That's _another _lie," He punched him again, even harder this time.

"Chase, stop!" Shelby couldn't stay quiet anymore, her mind reeling as she watched Paul get beaten.

Chase laughed, "Are you scared, beautiful?" Another punch. "Worried for your boyfriend?" Another. "Huh? Does this scare you?" Another – Paul let out a broken whimper, blood flowing from his nose and mouth. "Seeing your big, strong Paul –," _another_ – she was in hysterics at this point, "- get the shit beaten out of him?" After this punch, Chase grabbed Paul and turned him to look at her. His face was bruised and bloody; he looked completely worn out, weak, and her heart was breaking. "Tell her you love her, Paul."

Spitting blood out of his mouth, he blinked, then whispered, "I love you. I love you _so _much." His voice was small – he was tired. So tired, and every part of him hurt. His body, his mind, his heart, his _soul_… He felt dizzy.

"Very good. Now, tell her goodbye." Chase murmured, letting go of him.

Unable to hold his head up anymore, Paul let himself go limp and whispered, "Goodbye."

Then, many things happened at once. A sound rang out through the warehouse – almost like glass shattering – and Chase froze. Footsteps could be heard, and Shelby screamed, signaling where they were – hoping that they would be saved.

But Paul was too tired to pay attention; his eyelids felt like lead, and he was exhausted now. The last thing he heard was the sound of Chase's voice - as he leaned in to whisper "This isn't fucking over," – before his eyes slid shut.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Chase watched the two of them get rescued from outside, on top of a hill overlooking the warehouse's entrance. He had managed to get out before David and his boys saw him, but had left both of them alive…

"_You failed._"

He jumped at the sudden voice, "Fuck! You scared the shit out of me. Warn a guy next time."

"Shut up." The man said, "You didn't follow through on what we paid you to do."

Chase sighed, "I'm sorry, man – I was _this _close to finishing them, but then _they _showed up, and –,"

"We're very disappointed in you," another voice, a _female _voice, said.

Chase watched her step out of the shadows to stand beside the man, and nodded, "Yeah, I fucking _know_, okay? Once again: I'm sorry."

"I think we should kill him." The man suggested, grabbing Chase before he could get away, "What do you think, Star?"

Star smiled, running a hand through Chase's hair, a hungry look in her eyes, "Just let me play with him a little bit first."

"Wait!" Chase had to think fast because he knew they weren't kidding around. "Wait – uh… I-I didn't kill Paul and Shelby, like you asked, but _I can help you_."

The man raised an eyebrow, "You're full of shit, and I'm in the mood for a good kill, so –,"

But Star interrupted, holding him back, "Michael, stop. I want to hear what he has to say…"

Chase winked at her, then continued: "You want them dead. So do I. Well – mainly Paul, but the girl can die too; I couldn't care less."

"But you've already failed us once – how could you help us when you can't even accomplish this?" Michael was skeptical, but Star looked like she was on Chase's side.

Smirking, he replied, "I know what it's like to want revenge. We can plan our next attack as a group, and have ourselves what I'm dotingly going to call 'payback slaughter'. Sound good?"

Star nodded instantly, "I'm in. Michael, he's not lying. He won't fuck up again – I can feel it."

Michael was silent for a moment, staring at Chase, before saying, "Fine. I'm in, too."

"_Excellent_," Chase folded his arms across his chest, then said, "Remind me again why you hate them so much…"

Michael started to respond, but Star got there first: "Years ago, when I was with David, I was… kind of a tease –,"

"What do you mean 'was'? You still are, babe." Michael chuckled, quietly.

Star grinned, "Anyway, even though I was _with _David, I was head over heels for Paul. And he knew, but he never returned my feelings. This was before I met Michael, of course. After I found him, I knew he was the one, but to this day, all I really want is… revenge on Paul – for denying me. And since he's got his own little girlfriend now, I figure she can die with him. Hell, I'll kill her myself; it'll be so much _fun."_

Chase nodded, enthusiastically, "Fair enough. You're fucking right; this _is _going to be fun."

**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though it really does suck. Chapter 11 will be up soon and don't forget to review! :D


	11. Set Fire to the Rain

**Chapter 11: Set Fire to the Rain**

When Paul's eyes fluttered open, he had to blink many times before his vision focused. As it did, he saw Shelby and sat up, slowly. He was back home, in bed, and she was sitting at the end of the mattress, looking careworn. His head throbbed with pain and suddenly all the events of the past day and a half came back to him in a whirlwind. His whole body ached with the memories…

"Welcome back," Shelby whispered, standing up to come sit beside him. "How do you feel?"

Paul's throat was a little hoarse, but he spoke up, "Alright, I, uh… I guess." He looked at her, and asked, "How long was I out?"

She raised a hand to stroke his face and hair, gently, "About two days. We were worried. And the boys were _so _pissed when I told them what Chase did. Marko was making all sorts of death threats towards him, and –,"

"But you look much better," Paul observed, getting a good look at her; she was still bruised, but she looked much more well. The color had returned to her cheeks and she no longer looked sickly.

"David told me that normal injuries – like stabs and cuts – heal faster for us. So, yes, I am better, but –," she lifted her shirt up to her middle, showing off the word Chase had carved and a bandage that was covering her stab wound, "- I will have some scars. That fucker basically branded me with 'SLUT' – dug his knife in _real _deep for each letter."

Paul felt his heart constrict as he gazed at her wounds. As many times as he told himself it wasn't his fault, he felt guilty. _So _guilty – because there was always this little voice in the back of his mind telling him that he could have done something to prevent all of this.

But he couldn't have…

"A-Are you okay?" She asked, quietly, "You've got that look on your face… The one you get when you're thinking hard about something. What's up?"

Not wanting to make her pity him further, he lied, "Nothing. I'm fine. A little worse for wear, but I'm okay. And… And you're okay, and everything's okay. _We're _okay."

All the words sort of tumbled out of his mouth, and she giggled, taking his hand, "Yes, we are."

"So… Chase, uh… He got away?"

Looking down at their intertwined fingers, she nodded, "He was too fast. They came in through the window, I screamed, and when I looked back, he was gone."

Paul groaned, "Fuck. Fuck, fuck, _fuck._" Rubbing his eyes, frustrated, he murmured, "We have to find him. I'm gonna kill him – I _have _to kill him –,"

"No!" She cried, suddenly, a look of alarm flashing across her face, "No, Paul… He's fucking crazy, and we just barely got away with our lives." She met his eyes, and held his gaze, her tone serious, "Promise me that you won't go looking for him."

"What? Shelby, he knows where we live! He'll come back –!"

"_Please. _Promise me."

She put on her best puppy dog pout – knowing that he couldn't say 'no' to that face – and he sighed, "Shit. Okay, I promise. But we have to be more careful from now on."

"I agree, and so do the boys; I've already talked to them about that."

Paul nodded, "Good. Because, I swear, if anything happens to you again… I don't know what I'll do."

"Don't worry about me – you're weak, and you need to relax. Without relaxation and rest, you'll never get back to your old self."

Blinking tiredly, he mumbled, "So, can I get a kiss now? Or do I have to wait longer?"

Smiling, she replied, "I think you've earned one," and leaned in to press her lips to his.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The next few days passed, un-eventful. Paul was still recovering and not at his full strength, and Shelby was with him every second. Things felt pretty normal again, except for the fact that one of the boys always stayed behind from hunts – in case Chase decided to pay another visit. Even though David kept saying that Chase couldn't possibly be stupid enough to try anything again, they had to be careful.

Paul was starting to get annoyed from how often he was asked to re-count the story of their kidnap. He felt like he must have told it at least ten times now. Marko was especially curious, wanting to know every last detail that they could remember. As much as both Paul and Shelby loved Marko, the last time he'd asked about the ordeal, Paul cracked:

"Dude! _Stop asking about it, _okay? I'm pretty sure we've both told you everything by now. So fuck off."

Shelby gave an apologetic nod to Marko, who promptly left them alone, then turned back to Paul, "Can we… talk – about what happened to you?"

He raised an eyebrow, "You mean what Chase did to me?"

"No," she shook her head, "I mean before he kidnapped us. I… You were fucked-_up_, Paul… You had me terrified. I've never seen you like that before."

"Maybe that's because you barely know me."

She was taken aback, but answered quickly: "I know you better than I know myself – but you were a different person that night. And I want… I _need _to know what was running through your head. I need to make it better. Please let me… fix you."

Paul looked up at her; his face tired, and murmured, "You can't. You… You can't _fix _me, sassy. I'm not broken." Even as he spoke the words, he knew it was a lie.

And she didn't buy it for one second. "If the way you were that night isn't 'broken', then I don't know what is." He looked away, hanging his head, and she reached out to take his hands. "Listen to me: Sometimes… even the strongest people break. And you've been through _so _much – more than most – and you've lost your way a few times, but you know what? You have people who would do _anything _for you. You've got those three crazy assholes – your brothers – who've known you for decades and stuck with you all the way. And you've got me," she ran her thumb across his palm, gently, "And I love you. I'll always love you, and I'm not going anywhere. I'm always going to be here to fix you when you break. So… _talk to me_. Please, let me in."

There was a long silence after this, in which Paul took many slow breaths and held onto her hands tightly. And then, he spoke up, his voice thick: "I don't know what to say… I'm… a fucking mess – inside and out," she glanced at the scars on his wrists as he said this, "I just… I feel like – no, I _know _that… I'm not good enough – for you."

She instantly began to argue with him, "That's –,"

"Don't tell me it's crazy for me to think so. You don't know what I've done, sassy – you can't _begin _to imagine the things I've done to people. The things _Chase and I _did…"

"So what?" Shelby cupped his face in her hands, looking him in the eyes, "You're _better _now. You're a better man."

He shook his head, "It doesn't matter – none of it. I've never been anything but _bad, _baby. I've always been wrong – ever since I was young, and… _human_."

That threw her off guard, "You… can still remember your human life?"

He nodded. "Bits of it. I remember my mother's face… and my dick of a father. I had a brother named Adam, and a little sister named Grace…" A smile spread across his lips, "I remember how much I loved them, too. Especially Grace. She was the one person who never judged me or told me I would never amount to anything... But my father was always yelling at me to do something with my life. 'You're lazy, boy! You've been a useless little good-for-nothing ever since you were born!' He knew what I really was, inside. God… If he could see me now, he'd fucking _cringe_."

Shelby's mouth was open slightly, in awe, because Paul had never talked to her about his human life. _Never. _"How old were you when…?"

"When I got turned?" Paul laughed, humorlessly, his eyes filling with self-hatred, "Eighteen. I remember it perfectly – down to the very last detail… Fuck – when Chase offered me immortality, I didn't hesitate. I just said yes. I was an idiot and a moron and any other term there is for 'stupid fool'."

"But," she was having a hard time taking in all of what he was telling her, "But you've always acted as though you enjoy being what you are."

"Well, the company certainly is remarkable." Another melancholy chuckle, then: "If I could go back to that night, and say 'no', I would – in a heartbeat. It's gotten to the point where I don't… _want _this anymore. I spend so much time killing and fucking and not giving two shits about anyone or anything that I've lost who I am. I've lost _myself, _and I can't find who I used to be."

She nodded, finally beginning to understand, "Is that why you fell off the rails that night? Were you… trying to kill yourself?"

He fell silent again, for a moment or two, before shrugging, "I don't think I was _trying _to, but I knew that, if I _did _go too far, and I ended up losing my life – for lack of a better term – that I wouldn't care. Not one bit. And that feeling… scares me, baby. I'm scared of my own thoughts, and of the things I feel. I'm scared of what Chase will do if he ever gets his hands on you again, but – most of all – I'm scared of what I might do to myself. Because… I have no sense of what's right or wrong anymore."

As he finished his thought, Shelby looked at him – _really _looked at him. She tried to picture what it must be like to have gone through what Paul had. To have _suffered_ what he had. He'd gone from being a human boy, with a family and a _life_, to being a dead, creature of the night. He'd been thrown around like he was nothing, spit on by the ones he trusted, betrayed, scorned, and _used _by assholes like Chase for years and years and years. She felt an aching sense of guilt, mixed with overwhelming amounts of sympathy for him. Not knowing what else to do, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her fingers tangled in his messy hair, her face pressed to his neck.

"I'm _so _sorry," she whispered, eyes wet with tears. "I wish there was something I could do to make it all better."

Paul shook his head, rubbing her back, "Sweetheart, you _have _made things better – _believe me. _You've done so much for me, and I couldn't possibly ask for anything more from you."

She couldn't stop holding him, though. Couldn't help how bad she felt for him. Her hands held him as close as they could, her lips brushing against his collarbone as she cried.

He didn't protest, of course; merely looped his arms around her middle and quieted her tearful breaths and words. "Don't feel sorry for me, please. I can't stand having you cry over my twisted problems. I'm surprised you're not mad at me for getting you kidnapped –,"

At that, she pulled away suddenly, her tear-stained face full of an emotion Paul couldn't identify. "Shut up. Don't _ever _say something like that to me again. That's such bullshit, and you know it. What happened wasn't your fault – don't argue with me – and I'm not going to allow you to blame yourself for it."

Paul was momentarily taken aback, but nodded, "Alright then. You're the boss…?"

"You bet your ass I am, mister."

He chuckled, then sat up straight, "Tomorrow night, let's go out. It's been a while since we did, and I need some fresh air. And… I don't know. But we're going out."

Shelby thought about this prospect for a second, and then shrugged her shoulder. "What the hell – sure."

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

When they did join the boys the next night, they found the Boardwalk to be even more crowded than usual; the band that was performing had attracted a large number of wailing teenager girls.

Shelby felt glad to be back in the swing of things once again. Paul was at her side, keeping a protective arm around her at all times, and it felt great. The boys were all in good moods as well – even David was showing her a sliver of kindness tonight. Marko was being his typical spazzy self – running around with a cone of cotton candy in his hand and playing all of the games in the various booths. Dwayne was substantially calmer than his friend, but still quite chipper. She had never seen the stoic vampire smile as much as he was now.

After convincing Paul to try out one of the games, he ended up winning Shelby a large stuffed panda bear, which earned him a playful smack on the ass and a grateful kiss. As they embrace, Shelby felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see David standing behind her.

"Could I, erm… borrow your girl for a second, man?" He asked, awkwardly, "I'll give her right back."

Paul laughed, "Sure you can – but play nice, my friend." He winked at Shelby before moving away to watch Marko run in manic circles around Dwayne, who was laughing hysterically.

Shelby turned her attention back to the blonde vampire in front of her, and asked, "What's up?"

David looked extremely uncomfortable; he was shuffling back and forth on his feet and looking down at the floor. "I just… uh… I just wanted to apologize for the way I've acted towards you – since the day we met. I've been a dick, and I'm sorry. You're pretty cool, to be honest, you're a part of the group, and I need to start treating you as such. Do you forgive me?"

She was completely silent for several moments, as she took in all that he'd just said. And then she did the only thing she could think to do: she flung her arms around him, happily. "Of course I do! All I've wanted for the past few months is for us to be friends. Thank you for apologizing."

David chuckled, hugging her back loosely, before they broke apart. "It's the least I can do. You've been so great to all of us, especially Paul."

Just as he spoke his name, Paul appeared beside them, a look of slight incredulity on his face. As David walked away, Paul asked, "Did… Did you two just make up?"

"Yep!" Shelby replied, grinning widely, "He apologized to me, and I told him I forgive him."

"That's great, baby! I'm glad –,"

"_Paul?_" A voice spoke, out of nowhere, "Is that you?"

Eyebrows furrowing, Paul spun around to locate to the source of the voice. Shelby did the same, and saw that it was a girl who'd spoken. The girl was tall, with wavy hair – that was dyed a bright, bubblegum pink – and willowy limbs, which made Shelby think she might be a dancer. The girl was also very pretty. _Annoyingly _pretty, actually, and she was gazing at Paul with a look of badly masked adoration on her face.

"Oh my god," Paul gasped, a smile spreading across his cheeks, at the sight of this mystery chick. "Hey!" At this, he pulled her into a hug, and asked, "What the hell are you doing here? It's been ages since we last saw you!"

Annoyingly Beautiful Mystery Chick nodded, her smile showing off dazzlingly white teeth. "I know, but I'm going to have to insist that you introduce me to your friend first…"

"Oh, yeah, of course!" They broke apart, and Paul wrapped an arm around Shelby's waist, "Shelby, this is my good friend, Regina – we all call her Reggie. Reg, this is my girlfriend, Shelby."

She smiled brightly at Shelby, who faked one in return. "If this isn't too rude of a question, un… Who are you?"

Regina laughed, "That's not rude at all! I'm a vampire. I used to live with Paul and the guys – a long time ago."

"Yeah, but she ditched us after a couple of years," Paul said, a humorless smirk on his face.

"I _had _to leave, and you know why," she snapped, the smile disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. "I didn't want to go, but I _couldn't _stay with you all anymore."

Shelby raised an eyebrow, "You were like me? I mean, you lived with them and… all that?"

Regina nodded, shortly, regaining her painfully sweet grin once again, "But I was forced to leave them a while back – it's a long story –,"

"She's a seer." Paul interrupted, quietly.

Regina promptly hit him on the shoulder, "_Paul."_

"A what?" Shelby asked, confused and out of the loop.

There was a silence, and then the pink-haired vampire sighed, "I'm a seer. It, uhm… It means I can see the future, and read people's futures. I don't know why – I was kind of born with the ability. Anyway, about a decade ago, when I was still with the boys, we met another vampire coven, somewhere in Europe, and we became quick allies with them. But once their leader discovered my 'talent', he got it in his head that I was too dangerous to live, and tried to have me murdered. I had no choice but to run away. I had to disappear – for a while."

Paul snorted, "I wouldn't exactly call ten years '_a while_' –,"

"But," she continued, glaring at him, "I'm back now, and I thought the least I could do was pay my old friends a visit."

Shelby nodded, a smile – which looked much more like a grimace – on her face now. "How… _nice._"

After this, Marko, Dwayne and David crowded around Regina – all of them looking very pleased to see her: none of them as much as Marko, Shelby observed. And as she watched them all hug and catch up, she experienced a feeling that she hadn't really felt since becoming a vampire; jealousy. She glanced around the group, dejection plaguing her mind, as old bonds were made young again. As previously broken relationships were repaired, and feelings re-kindled. She understood what they must all be experiencing. Regina had been their friend for much longer than she had. They'd missed her, and now they had her back… She wondered if – all this time – they had been secretly been hoping for Regina to be with them instead of her. The idea of that possibility hurt more than anything else. The idea that she was merely a stand-in for Regina; a shadow of what the group _used _to be.

Then, her gaze wandered over to Paul standing a few feet away. He was smiling – she didn't expect him not to be happy – but once he caught sight of her, his smile faded. In a flash, he was right in front of her, his face inches away, clasping her hands gently. "What's wrong, baby?"

Hearing the pet name softened her a little bit, but she replied, "Oh, you know – just admiring this love-fest from afar."

Paul sighed, "Are you jealous – of Reggie?"

"Stop calling her that," Shelby snapped, firmly, "It's just… How am I _supposed _to be feeling right now? How can I _not _be jealous?"

"Because you have no reason to be. Regina's great, but she's got absolutely nothing on you. She's our friend, and we haven't seen her in years, you know?"

She looked up into his eyes, "I just… Don't toss me aside, okay? Please, don't forget about me, or – or –,"

"What are you talking about?" He asked, pulling her into his strong arms and holding her tight. "Huh? Baby, listen: You're my whole fucking _world_, and more. You're mine – and you know I'm wrapped around your fingers. I'm not letting you go, and I'm certainly not going to 'toss you aside' simply because an old friend comes back into the picture. You _have _to know that."

Shelby nodded, slowly, "I do know that… I-I do, but I can't help feeling a little bit jealous. I mean, she's gorgeous –,"

"_You're _gorgeous."

"–and sexy–,"

"_You're _sexy."

"–and you all love her–,"

"We all love _you_, too."

At that, she sighed, giving up. "You're right. I'm stressing over nothing. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Just then, a look of realization dawned on his face, "I have an idea. A _good _idea – Reggie!"

The vampire turned to respond, "Hmm?"

"Can I ask you a favor? It's really, _really _important."

She looked slightly taken aback, but shrugged, "Well, it depends on what the favor _is_, but sure. Lay it on me."

"Okay. I need you to read Shelby and I's future. Please say you'll do it."

Shelby's mouth fell open at his request – and Regina's eyes widened. "Paul… no – don't ask her to do something like that," Shelby murmured, shaking her head. Not only was this none of the girl's affair, she also didn't _want _to know what the future held for her. She didn't want to have to be scared of whatever was in stake for her and Paul.

"Why do you need me to do this? What's going on?" Regina was curious, but Shelby didn't want to get another person involved in this mess.

"It's nothing, really –,"

"It's Chase." Paul replied, his voice low and hostile as he spoke the name. "He wants the two of us dead."

Regina's face darkened at these words, her nostrils flaring and her teeth bared. "That fucker's _back_? Is he here? You tell me where he is – I'll go rip his heart out right now –,"

"Reggie, calm down, he's not here. We don't know where he is, but he did some serious damage to us last week –,"

"What did he do this time? What did that _asshole _do to –?"

Shelby slowly lifted up the hem of her shirt, showing off her midsection and the letters that would probably mar her forever; 'SLUT'. Paul did the same, lifting his white t-shirt up to reveal the long, jagged cut running diagonally across his chest.

"He's a fucking _dead man_," the vampire girl hissed, eyes glowing with anger. "I'm gonna _kill _him –,"

"Reggie! Stop for a minute. I don't want you to kill him – I'd much rather do that myself – I just want you to read our future. That's all." He fixed his dark eyes on hers, "Will you do it?"

There was barely a second's hesitation, "Of _course _I will."

Paul nodded, lacing an arm around Shelby's waist once more. "Thanks, Reg. Knew I could count on you."

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Once they were all back inside the cave, Regina instructed Shelby and Paul to join her in a circle on the floor. David, Marko and Dwayne watched as they joined hands, and Regina's voice broke through the silence, "I need both of you to try and get as calm as you possibly can. Take a few deep breaths – whatever you have to do to relax your bodies and your minds."

Shelby glanced over at Paul, who was smirking, and sighed, deeply. She did her best to empty her head of all negative thoughts, but that was hard. So, she settled for simply taking a series of calming breaths – listening as Paul did the same.

"Alright," Regina said, closing her eyes, "Now, let me see what I can find…" Shelby watched her face carefully, holding onto her and Paul's hands. All was quiet, and then Regina snarled, "I see him… I see that sick bastard… He's not alone – there are two other beings with him, but I… can't tell who they are. It's all very dark and everything is difficult to make out, but I can see that he's angry. He's… _seething_, wherever he is." There was a pause. "Oh, and I can see you two. I…" Her pale face grew even whiter, and her hands began to shake, "Oh my god… _God_… This is… _No_… I can't watch this –," She dropped their hands and stood up, backing away with her eyes still closed, looking horrified.

"Reg," Marko spoke from a few feet away, "What's wrong? What did you see?"

The girl shook her head, opening her eyes. "I can't. I _can't_..."

Paul was beside her quickly, taking hold of her arms, "You _have _to tell us what you saw. Please."

When Regina looked up at him, there were tears brimming in her bright blue eyes. "I… I saw… the two of you… _die_. Th-They _ripped you apart_… Blood – everywhere – and… screaming. You… aren't going to survive. You're going to die. I'm so… _so _sorry."

And with that, she was gone – in a flash on pink – before anyone could do a thing to stop her, leaving the cave silent and its inhabitants shocked. Shelby had a moment's warning – in which she began to feel woozy – and then she felt her legs begin to tremble, before they gave out on her altogether. She collapsed to the floor, but Dwayne rushed forward and caught her before she could get hurt, and held her steady. Paul was beside her in seconds, taking his brother's place by her side. She didn't realize that she was crying until he reached out to wipe her tears away.

"Guys, can you give us some privacy?" Paul asked, quietly.

Silently, the boys all disappeared from the main room – evidently to retreat to their dark room for the night – leaving the couple alone.

It was only once they were gone that she really started to cry. Frightened sobs escaped her lips as Paul pulled her close for the second time that night, rubbing her back. "Baby, _please_, don't cry. I can't take Sad-Shelby right now. Ssshhh…"

But she couldn't stop. Her body shook from the sobs, and she _clung _to him, desperation on her fingertips as she held on to the fabric of his shirt. Without another word, he scooped her up in his arms, as if she were a child, and got up. He carried her to their bed and set her down, gently, before climbing in beside her and pulling the covers up over them. Shelby moved so that she was as close to him as possible, and he wrapped his arms around her trembling body. "I'm _so _scared," she whispered, her voice thick from tears.

"Well, don't be." Paul replied, softly, "I'll sooner kill myself than allow anyone to hurt you again."

She furrowed her eyebrows, and sniffed, "B-But, Regina said –,"

"Reggie's readings _are _the future, but they aren't _always _set in stone." He explained, running his fingers through her hair. "Some things can be changed – and sometimes the future can be re-written as well. This is one of those times. And you have my word that you aren't going to die. I won't let it happen – not ever. Trust me, okay?"

Shelby's sobs had quieted, but she still cried – more out of worry than actual fear. She wanted to believe Paul's words, but she didn't know what was going to happen, and that was the worst feeling she could imagine.

"Sweetheart, please, take my word on this. You're safe, and I'm going to do anything and everything I can to _keep _you safe. Forever."

Their eyes met, and she saw a truth and sincerity in his that, in all their time together, she'd never seen before. It made her feel closer and more thankful to him than ever. So, she did the only thing made any logical sense to her at the moment: pulled him in and kissed him.

At first, he was too surprised to respond, but then he moved a hand to the back of her neck and slid his tongue into her mouth. Their kisses were feverish and passionate, desperate and lustful, and she felt fire coursing through her veins now.

In-between kisses, she managed to gasp out, "_Make love to me_..."

He didn't stop, didn't falter – merely began tugging at the hem of her shirt, while she raised her arms over her head. Once he'd pulled the garment off, and she'd done the same for him, he fell upon her chest, his lips roaming all over her breasts, her neck, her shoulders. He did his best to avoid the scarred part of her torso, which she appreciated, feeling strangely self-conscious about it. She clutched at his hair and held him close while he un-hooked her bra, expertly; his mouth was cold against her nipples, causing her to shiver and moan. She un-buttoned his pants, as he pulled her long skirt down her legs. Slipping under the sheets, he peeled away her underwear and moved in-between her legs, spreading them apart, gently. She could just barely make out a tiny noise from him, before she felt his lips on her bare legs. Quiet gasps fell from her mouth as he worshipped her lower half with his tongue; running it up her legs and swirling it around her thighs. She could feel his hot breath on her now-throbbing center, and it made her sigh.

Paul slid his tongue up and down her entrance, rolling it around her clit over and over, until she let out a proper _whine _of pleasure. He chuckled softly, before beginning to suck on her swollen clit, hungrily. Shelby's whole world was tilting at a new angle, spinning out of orbit, and – _god _– it felt absolutely _delicious_.

Reaching down under the covers, her fingers knotted in his soft hair, and she bucked upwards into his mouth. "_Paul_…" She moaned, as he slid a finger into her soaking wet folds, "Oh, god, oh, god, ohhh…!" He continued to suck on her clit while his finger pumped in and out of her, and, fuck, if this wasn't what Heaven felt like, she didn't know what was. "N-Need you – in me… Now, _please_, fuck, oh –,"

Nodding, he pulled his finger out and promptly pushed himself into her tight core, filling her completely and causing her to cry out. He held her close as he began to thrust, and she grasped his hair and sighed as the pleasure enveloped her.

It felt like years since they'd last had sex, and she was drinking every minute of it in. Paul was whispering things to her, his hot breath tickling her earlobe, while he pumped himself in and out, in and out, in and out – a rhythm that was so familiar to Shelby at this point, yet still so new. She felt like her whole body was on fire, her senses heightened and her mind reeling.

"_Love you, baby_," he gasped, burying his face in her hair, his thrusts growing more and more erratic, "Love you…"

She nodded, whimpering when he hit that one spot and throwing her head back in ecstasy. "Paul –!" She cried, her eyes shut tight as she felt him lose himself inside of her, his low groans muffled against her neck. Her arms held him tightly, while they both came down from their highs, and he kissed her collarbone. "I love you, too," she whispered.

"I'm never letting you go. Don't forget that."

She smiled, stroking his tangled hair affectionately, "I know."

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"Shit, man – what are we going to do about Shelby? How could we have let something like this happen to her in the first place?"

Edgar hung his head, looking down at the ground. "Vampirism is a lethal curse. We can only do so much to stop it, you know? Once it's got someone, though, it's got them. No way to stop it, or save her, or anything like that."

Alan tossed one of the rocks in his hand off the side of the bridge, watching it fall down into the ocean below. "I just feel so guilty… She was our sister."

"I know," Edgar sighed, leaning back against the bridge railing, "I love the girl as much as you do, but I don't see what we can do to help her now. I don't want to kill her, do you?"

Alan shook his head, "I _can't_. I could never – even if that is the only thing we can do for her. Never."

"If someone had come up to me a year ago and told me that my older sister would become a vampire soon, I would've laughed in their fucking face. I wish we could get her back somehow."

"Me too –,"

But before Alan could finish his thought, a voice spoke to them out of the darkness, pulling them out of their conversation quickly: "Well, hello there, cuties."

Both boys turned to locate the source of the voice, and saw that it belonged to a girl. A _beautiful_ girl, with long, wavy, brown hair, and a billowy skirt – that made her look very much like a gypsy – on. She was barefoot, with many multicolored bangles on her wrists, and smiling at them.

"Uhh," Edgar stammered, eyebrows rising, "Do we know you?"

She laughed, shortly, "I don't think so, no, but I've heard great things about you two. My name is Star, and I was wondering if you boys could help me out?"

Alan was quick to answer: "Depends on what you need –,"

"–But we'll do our best." Edgar interrupted, smoothly.

"Actually, guys," Another voice said from behind Star, "It's more about what _I _need." This voice belonged to a male, and when he stepped out from behind her, they saw that he was tall and looked pretty tough. "I'm Michael, and I need you two geeks to do me a little favor."

**A/N: **Hahahahahaha cliffhanger! Oh my gosh it's been so long since I last updated! I'm so sorry you guys! I hope you haven't all given up on this story, because I'm still writing it and I haven't given up! :)

I hope you all enjoyed this nice long chapter, because I've been working on it for ages now. I'll update as soon as I can! And don't forget to leave me a review!


	12. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

Hi guys!

I'm really sorry this isn't an actual update – _really, really, really _sorry – but I felt the need to put up a little update to just let you guys know that I **have not **given up on this story. I really haven't. I've been very busy with school - lots of work, lots of drama, lots of shit – and I haven't had as much time as I used to have for writing. Also, my ideas have been coming and going, as well as my inspiration, and it's difficult for me to just sit myself down and write something without any inspiration, as it is for any writer. If I tried to write a chapter without any motivation, it wouldn't be good, and I would feel like I was letting you guys down. I want this story to be as good as it possibly can be, and it won't be that way if I try to churn out chapters as often as possible without any inspiration or drive to write them. Does that make sense? I'm sorry that I've been slow to come out with chapter 12, I really am, but I promise that if you'll just be patient with me, and give me time, I won't let you down. I'm on winter break right now, so I'll have time to do whatever I want, and I'll probably work on the new chapter before school starts up again.

I _**promise **_that this story will get finished. I am determined to write it until the very end, and I will do my very best to do that. Just don't give up on me ;)

Thanks,

Sophie


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